KENYA: Kisumu Archdiocese in Kenya Launches Centenary Year
Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
In preparation for next year’s centenary celebration to commemorate the Church’s spiritual journey, growth, and impact on the faith community for Kisumu Archdiocese, which is in the Western part of Kenya, the Local Ordinary has officially launched the year-long journey as the Archdiocese marked its family day.
In a decree declaring the launch, Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba noted, “By the grace of God, and the authority of the Apostolic See, I the undersigned…decree the launch of the celebration of a hundred years since the creation of the Archdiocese. The centenary of the Archdiocese of Kisumu will be celebrated from this date, 11th October 2024 to 10th October 2025.”
Invoking God’s blessings to the Christians as they are expected to have special liturgical services running throughout the year, Archbishop Muhatia who doubles as the Chairman for the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) gave a brief historical reflection about the Archdiocese.
“The Archbishop of Kisumu began with the appointment of Bishop Gorgonius Brandsma (a member of the Mill Hill Missionaries, MHM) as the Prefect of the Prefecture Apostolic of Kavirondo in Kenya on 2nd December 1925, and later he was appointed the Vicar Apostolic of Kisumu on 11th July 1933,” the Kenyan Prelate recalled and noted further that in the subsequent years, several Ordinaries and Auxiliary bishops were appointed.
“Rt. Rev. Nicholas Stan, MHM was the Vicar Apostolic from 1936-1948, Rt. Rev. Fredrick Hall, MHM, followed as the Vicar Apostolic and later the Bishop of Kisumu from 1948- 1964. By then the Servant of God Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga became the Auxiliary Bishop from 1956 to 1960,” reads the decree in parts.
The history continued, Rt. Rev. Joannes de Reeper then followed as the Bishop from 1964-1976, then Rt. Rev. Philip Sulmeti from 1976-1978.
Archbishop Emeritus Zacchaeus Okoth was appointed the Bishop of Kisumu on 27th February 1978, and subsequently the Archbishop on 21st May 1990, making him the first Archbishop of Kisumu Archdiocese. Most Rev. Philip Arnold Subira Anyolo then became the second Archbishop from 2018 to 2021 then the Most Rev. Maurice Muhatia Makumba served as the Apostolic Administrator from 20th November 2011 to 18th December 2022, when he was appointed the third Archbishop of Kisumu serving to date.
