KENYA: Sr. Adelaide Ndilu among New Consultors to the Dicastery for communication Appointed by Pope Francis

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Pope Francis yesterday Thursday, September 29, appointed 10 new consultors to the Dicastery for communication among them Sr. Adelaide Felicitas Ndilu the current National Executive Secretary of the Commission for Social Communications for the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and director of Radio Waumini in Nairobi.

Upon receiving the Holy Father’s appointment, the member of the Congregation of Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary stated that it must have been the will of God.

“I least expected this appointment, but I look at it as God’s doing which is wonderful on our eyes,” Sr. Ndilu shared with AMECEA online in an interview Friday, September 30, adding that “It can only be you, Jesus.”

Even though the Religious woman who was recently in the month of July appointed a board member of SIGNIS Africa has no idea how she was identified to be one of the consultors to the Dicastery for communication, she notes that it is God who has qualified her for the task.

According to the nun, “a lot of commitment to the work of communications in Kenya entrusted to us by our bishops, and hard work as well as putting up extra hours to accomplish a task,” could be contributing factors.

Sr. Ndilu who has been at the helm of KCCB’s Commission for Social Communication as the National Executive Secretary since February 2020, emphasizes that such a post of Consultancy “calls for greater responsibility, commitment and dedication.”

“Communication is part and parcel of the Church and indeed it’s here to stay. We must all embrace communication and do the work with a lot of commitment and dedication making sure the work of evangelization reaches to the furthest ends of the world through various media including social media platforms,” the nun expressed.

Asked how her presence as a consultor in the Dicastery of Communication as well as a Board member in SIDNIS, Africa will strengthen Catholic communicators especially in the continent, Sr. Ndilu said, “By their very nature, the African people are great communicators which translates to actions. There is a lot of good that happens in Africa but the stories are never heard. We shall portray to the world the best of the African People.”

She continued disclosing how communication is not given importance in most institutions saying, “I realize communication is not given the priority it deserves and I think that’s the reason even in the Dioceses communication continues to suffer what I will call, “financial want.”

As a way forward the nun suggested that for improvement of Catholic communication “there is need to build the capacity of our communicators as well as improve the instruments used to reach out to the masses.”