KENYA: Kakamega Diocese Pilgrims to Walk Nine Days to Subukia Shrine for National Prayer Day
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
As the national prayer day to be held on Saturday, October 1, approaches, Christians from the Catholic Diocese of Kakamega in Western Kenya, have begun a nine-day pilgrimage walk to be part of the big day celebration at Subukia Shrine in Nakuru Diocese, a cleric has shared.
In an interview with AMECEA online on Wednesday, September 21, after he flagged off 100 pilgrims to commence the over 260kms journey to Subukia Shrine, the Vicar General of Kakamega Diocese Fr. Vincent Mukokho confirmed that the Christians were set to join congregants from other dioceses to celebrate the national prayer day after missing the opportunity for about two years because of Covid-19 pandemic.
Asked why the 100 Christians opted to walk yet Kakamega diocese will transport about 2000 Christians for the upcoming prayer day, Fr. Mukokho who is also the Pastoral coordinator for the Diocese narrated, “the Church on earth is a pilgrim Church, we are all in a journey and the Christians want to nurture that spirituality.”
During the Spiritual walk the Kenyan cleric said, “There will be some mortification for the sake of Christ so the Christians can grow in their spiritual life. In this case through the nine days they (pilgrims) will not be taking meal for lunch but only breakfast and supper.”
Additionally the cleric who serves as the Parish priest of St. Joseph Cathedral Kakamega highlighted that the pilgrims have some special intentions to present to the Lord through Mother Mary when they visit the shrine.
Emphasizing the essence of having the pilgrimage walk the priest continued, “The Spiritual walk is a way of strengthening faith and appreciating the work of the first missionaries and also a way of evangelization where we help one another in building the kingdom of God.”
Following this year’s prayer day theme “God’s family journeying together in a united and environmentally sustainable Kenya,” the pilgrims are walking as they pray together as a family and since they will have nine stop-offs en route to Subukia Shrine “the Christians will be having prayer vigils as their desire is to receive graces from God,” the priest said.
The prayer theme has been crafted based on the on-going synod of bishops “For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission,” and the recently concluded 20th plenary assembly of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa (AMECEA) “Environmental impact integral human development.”
“Journeying together is what the Church is promoting currently through the synod to enhance growing together as one family united as a country,” Fr. Mukokho noted in relation to the pilgrimage walk.
According to the pastoral coordinator, the 100 Christians recently formed a foot pilgrims group which was officially launched in the month of January with Fr. Patrick Murunga as their Chaplain so they can frequently visit shrines for prayers.
The priest further encouraged more Christians to attend the national prayer day organized by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and pray for peace, unity and reconciliation for the country.
