KENYA: “I take this Responsibility in Fear and Trembling,” Bishop Odiwa at his Episcopal Ordination
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
At the ordination of the new Bishop of Kenya’s Catholic diocese of Homa Bay on Tuesday, February 9, Bishop Michael Cornelius Otieno Odiwa during his maiden speech shortly after his episcopal ordination expressed his acceptance of the new mission as the Shepherd of the 28-year-old Homa Diocese.
Addressing thousands of Christians who attended the celebration at Homa Bay High School grounds, the new Bishop said, “I wish to thank our Holy Father Pope Francis through the Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya for entrusting me with God’s flock, a responsibility that I take in fear and trembling.”
Bishop Odiwa disclosed that in his meditation, Psalm 46 from the Scriptures spoke to his heart “Be still and know that I am God” a moment he realized that “stillness and wisdom, serenity and wisdom, peace and wisdom seem to always arise together.”
The new Bishop who was appointed last year in November, had served as the Vicar General for Homa Bay diocese and until his appointment was working in the Archdiocese of Adelaide South Australia as an assistant Parish Priest in-charge of Italian speaking community of the Annunciation Church Hectorville Parish as well as defender of Bond Tribunal of the Province of Adelaide South Australia and Northern Territories, appreciated Archbishop Philip Arnold Anyolo for guiding especially when he was the Vicar General.
“I wish to sincerely thank his Grace Archbishop Anyolo for the wisdom and peace with which he has mentored me and to thank our late Bishop Linus Okok our founding Bishop for the foundation he laid in this Diocese,” he narrated.
As a landmark of his consecration, and a way of bringing Jesus the prince of peace closer to the Christian, the new Bishop created two parishes as his Episcopate gift to the Christians of Homa Bay, a diocese comprising of two Counties.
On his part Archbishop Anyolo who has been the Apostolic Administrator of Homa Bay Diocese following his appointment as the Archbishop of Kisumu Archdiocese in November 2018, thanked the new Bishop for accepting the responsibility of being a Shepherd and also express gratitude to the Christians for their cooperation when he worked with them.
“You have been chosen by God to serve him,” Archbishop Anyolo addressed the new Bishop and continued, “I had known you as my Vicar General for 9 years. I appreciate all that you did which was for the greater glory of God and for the good of this diocese.”
“Remember if God is for us, who can be against us?” The Archbishop who is also the Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) posed a question to Bishop Odiwa and blessed him saying, “May God bless you, may he make you happy in the mission he has given you and may he bless the people he has given you to Shepherd.”
To the Christians whom he served for over ten years as the Local Ordinary and later as the Apostolic Administrator, Archbishop Anyolo appreciated saying, “I want to thank you my dear people of God for the time I have been with you because I have learnt not only how to carry the cross of Jesus Christ, but I also get out of this diocese mature and happy to thank God always because I know there is the cross and there is resurrection time.”
“Thank you for helping me learn to grow so that I may serve God in the best way possible,” Archbishop Anyolo told the Christians and added, “I want you to be assured that we are going to pray for you and work together with one another and with the new Bishop.”
The Prelates who attended the Episcopal Ordination in Homa Bay assured Bishop Odiwa their continued prayers and support and asked him not to let his “ready smile fade” because of the demanding pastoral work.
