KENYA: Apostolic Nuncio Urges Newly Ordained Deacons to Embrace Service to the Poor
Sr. Henriette Anne, FSSA
In a colourful ceremony that was held at Tumsifu Centre Kisumu Archdiocese, Kenya, Most Rev. Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megen, Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya on Saturday, January 4th, 2025, ordained seven seminarians to diaconate.
Drawing parallels between the ordination of the seven deacons and the Biblical selection of seven deacons in the Acts of the Apostles, the representative of Holy Father to Kenya reminded the congregation of the challenges faced by the early Christians in Jerusalem, where language barriers caused tensions between the Hebrew and Greek speaking believers and the seven men were chosen to serve the community stressing to the deacons that their vocation is to be servants to God, to the poor, and to the orphans.
“Now, let these young men be of service, you are called to be servants, nothing more than that, to be of service to God, to be of service to the Church, but first and for most as we read from the Acts of the Apostles, to be of service to the poor, to the windows, to the orphans, to the expelled, that is your first duty from today onwards. And all the rest, all the beautiful thing that come with it, even the serving at the altar in its sense is secondary”.
Addressing the deacons, he explained that it is in serving the poor that we serve Christ Himself and therefore first thing first is service to the poor. “First thing first: service to the poor. And don’t forget that it is in service to the poor that we serve Christ Himself, as Jesus Himself would say in the Gospel “what you have done to these least of mine that you do for me”, it is there where we serve Christ most”.
He continued “somebody said, each and every time you meet poor man or poor woman, actually you would have to kneel in front of him or her because that is Christ present, like you kneel for the sacrament that is the same way you have to kneel for poor person because God is present in him and in that poor person, he gives you an occasion to serve him, that is what deaconate is all about”.
He further added that the liturgical role of deacon is to serve just like the Levite in the temple, the deacons assist at the altar and their primary duty remains service to the community. “As you grow deep into the reality of Christ, as you become a true deacon, be servant to the poor, a servant to God, a servant to the Church, a servant at the alter because that is a liturgical function of a deacon, the Levite at the temple, they served, they were not priests, but they served at the altar”.
Quoting the words of Mother Teresa the Apostolic Nuncio stressed, “Give or love till it hurts”, adding that it is “only when it hurts it is real love, only when I feel there is pain in my heart, and may be pain in my body that I know I’m not doing this for myself but I’m doing it for God”.
Reflecting on the rigorous formation journey of the seven deacons and expressing that “eight years is a struggle”, Archbishop Van Megan noted that God knew them ultimately before they were born, He has put the very best of Himself in them”.
Addressing the issue of leadership in his homily during the 4th January ordination, Van Megan called for a true leadership, a servant leadership within the Catholic Church.
“We pray for you that you may follow into His footsteps, become true deacons because as it was said in the Gospel of today, we have enough people who try to rule with iron and fist, we have them in the government, we have them also within the Church. True leadership within the Church is a leadership of service, servant leadership, that is what we need within our church; deacons, priests, Pope, cardinal who are ready to kneel down, to wash feet with the poor of the poor, who are ready to give to the Church as Christ himself does”.
In his closing remarks, the Nuncio addressed the socio-political context of Kenya, acknowledging the challenges the nation faces. He affirmed that the Church does not align with political parties but stands for truth, justice, and peace, commending the bishops of Kenya for their courageous stand in 2024, and called upon all the faithful to pray noting, “pray for the leaders of the Church, because by praying for them you are also praying for yourself that all together as people of God, we become closer to each other and that we will be that acceptable sacrifice to God”.
