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Kenya: church plans institute in honour of Fr Kaiser


Source: CISA

An institute for peace will be established in Kenya in honour of Fr John Anthony Kaiser, the Kenya Episcopal Conference (KEC) has announced. The chairman of the KEC Bishop Cornelius Korir, who is also in charge of Eldoret Diocese, said that Kenyan Bishops will continue seeking the truth regarding the death the Mill Hill Missionary, who died mysteriously three years ago.

Bishop Korir was speaking last Saturday during a memorial Mass marking the third anniversary of the death of Fr Kaiser The event was held out of doors at the lonely Morendat Junction off the Nairobi-Nakuru highway where his body was recovered on August 24, 2000.

In his homily the bishop called on the government and well-wishers who want to support the Kaiser cause to contribute land and financial assistance towards the construction of the institute.

"Only the truth can set us free, and keeping it to ourselves is not good," said the Bishop.

Before the Mass, Archbishop Raphael Ndingi Mwana Nzeki of Nairobi and Bishop Peter Kairo of the host diocese of Nakuru, led the congregation in procession from the St Xavier's Catholic Church Naivasha to the venue.

Bishop Kairo, who is also the KEC Vice-Chairman, was the main celebrant at the Eucharist, assisted by all the Kenyan bishops and several priests. Thanking the government for granting the inquest, the bishops called for anyone with information regarding Fr Kaiser's death to forward it to the nearest bishop.

A brother of the late priest, Mr Francis Kaiser, who had travelled from the United States with his wife Barbara, said: "I believe that justice will be done, and my brother will be given justice," said Francis.

The Regional Representative of the Mill Hill Missionaries in East Africa, Fr Michael Corcoran, said Fr Kaiser's colleagues would never believe the suicide theory arrived at by the FBI in their April 2001 report.

"Just because they killed him doesn't mean that justice also died," he said. Fr Corcoran said that he believed that the FBI findings were compromised. He thanked the authorities for granting the inquest, but prayed that this would not be just one of the many inquests currently underway.

"I pray that this inquest be treated with the seriousness it deserves," he concluded. His sentiments were echoed by Archbishop Ndingi who also rejected the FBI report.

"Just because we are behind in technology doesn't mean we are not intelligent," he said.

A book of notes by Fr Kaiser - 'If I Die' - was also launched in Nairobi by Cana publishers.

Tags: Kaiser

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