Fr Hieronymus Joya has been elected the new Regional Superior of the Consolata Missionaries. He makes history as the first African to hold the office.
The following are excerpts from the interview with CISA.
Q: How do you feel now?
A: I do not feel worthy to be in the office but because of the overwhelming majority of confreres who voted, they saw something in me that they think will be of benefit to the congregation and the region. I am ready for the challenge and responsibility bestowed on him.
Q: Give a brief history of the Consolata Missionaries in the Kenyan Region
A: The region covers Kenya and Uganda and has a lot of history. The Dream of Blessed Joseph Allamano was to evangelise the Galla in Abysinia (Ethiopia). However, they could not be permitted to go in due to the influence of the Orthodox Church. Even today, our missionaries in Ethiopia are considered as social workers.
Bishop Perlo with two priest and two brothers were hosted by Chief karoli who decided that the missionaries should remain and work with his people. The Consolata were given the responsibility of working in the Northern Frontier specifically in the Larger Archdiocese of Nyeri.
There has been an enormous work by the Consolata since then and this is a very overwhelming responsibility for me.
This is the most dynamic region with multiple activities for there are four houses of formation: prepaedeutic with 26 students, Consolata Institute of philosophy with 57 students, Novitiate with 11 novices and 28 in theology at Allamano house, Lang’ata. The region has the highest number of vocations.
Q: Where are you working currently?
A: We work in 14 dioceses, 11 in Kenya and 3 in Uganda. We have 27 parishes and three centres of vocation animation. One in Uganda and two in Kenya. There are also several learning institution under the Consolata. Two charitable organisations Famili ya Ufariji for the rehabilitation of street kids and the St Mary’s village for the elderly and neglected women in Sagana.
We have missionaries working in special responsibilities within the dioceses like the administrators of the dioceses of Marsabit and Maralal, the resurrection garden and the Nazareth hospital.”
The region has over 120 professed active members and it is not easy to coordinate such a number.
The mind of the congregation treasures this region for it is offering a lot.
The life of the missionaries is influenced a lot by the society around where the missionaries are working. Some work in hardship areas and the superior has to coordinate all of them.
Q: What are some of your achievements so far?
A: Over 10 priests have been sent for further studies. This is for priests to be well educated and in touch with current affairs.
We have expanded to places where we had not been.
We have a very good rapport with all the bishops and superiors of other congregations.
The merger of Consolata institute of philosophy and Tangaza to Tangaza Consolata University. It is not yet formalised but is in advanced stages.
The setting up of the Consolata Media centre incorporating The Seed and Catholic Information Service for Africa, CISA, which are proving to be strong instruments of evangelisation through the print and soft media within Africa and beyond.
Currently young African missionaries are holding responsibilities and are giving a different touch of missionary work and service. Some of them include Fr Albert Kathare, Novice Master at Consolata Novitiate Sagana, Fr James Lengarin the parish priest at Consolata Shrine, Fr Caroli Ouma the principal of Consolata School, Fr Mark Gitonga Propaedeutic year, Fr Zachariah King’aru Consolata Seminary, Fr Mathews Odhiambo Allamano House and Fr Dan Mkado the Chief editor at Consolata Media Centre just to name a few.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: They include the setting up an inductive course for council members to brainstorm on the ideas of leadership, planning and management and on finance,
To reorganize activities of the region and our communities,
An ongoing formation where members are encouraged to study and update themselves regularly and to manage well our resources both human and financial and how to acquire more for better evangelisation.”
Q: What about challanges
A: The major challenges that lie ahead are;
Upholding the identity and charism as Consolata missionaries,
Progressive change of attitude and the way of doing things,
Living the spirit of interculturality and harmonise all the members to avoid any divisions
And inadequate resources both personnel and financial for sustainability.
Others are organisational and restructuring of all activities in order to guarantee offering quality service,
Offering quality service in the local church and institutions and adherence to directives, policies and laws of the church and state; the constitution of the Consolata missionaries, the cannon law the constitution of Kenya and Uganda.
Editors’ Note:
Fr Zachariah King'aru is the new Vice Regional Superir. Members of the council are Fr James Lengarin, Fr Nicholas Makau and Fr Tommaso Barbero.
Fr Joya has been the vice regional superior for the last three years. Previously he had been working in formation and as a parish priest.
