Nairobi Archdiocese Marks its Annual Family Day, Gets over US$1million for Development

CANAA || By Francis Njuguna, Nairobi || 10 August 2015

The family institution is currently facing many challenges, but the Church will remain steadfast in defending and promoting it, the head of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi, John Cardinal Njue, told a large gathering in Nairobi on Saturday, August 8, as the Archdiocese marked its annual Family Day celebration.

The Cardinal stressed that the Church’s role of defending and promoting the family is an “order” from God and that the Church will not abdicate its pastoral mission to the family.

He encouraged the laity to actively participate in evangelizing the family saying, “While the Church played its role, the faithful should equally make their contributions towards this direction.”

“This way, we shall be able to battle out some of the challenges facing the family today,” Cardinal Njue emphasized during the Eucharistic celebration at Saint Mary’s grounds, Msongari in Nairobi, where he led the congregation in marking the 2015 Family Day for Nairobi Archdiocese under the theme: God saw that everything He had made, and behold it was very good.

The Cardinal decried the tendency to make decisions that have a negative impact on the family, encouraging the faithful to be vocal against leaders with such tendencies.

“The faithful should always speak up when some decisions taken by the leaders are not in favor of their faith,” the Cardinal advised, adding, “Towards this direction, I am urging you to remain alert on decision taken by the leaders and that are not in favor of your faith and belief.”

During the event, over US$1million (over KES. 108million) was raised through the Archdiocesan parishes for pastoral development in the Archdiocese.

It was announced that part of the amount will go towards completing the annex of Cardinal Otunga Plaza, located within the premises of the Holy Family Minor Basilica.

The same occasion witnessed the commissioning of the Archdiocesan family life animators as well as members of the family life Advisory Board.

The guest speaker at the event was Bishop Anthony Muheria of the Kitui Diocese, who lamented corruption and immorality in society and urged believers in Jesus Christ to lead the way in stamping these vices out of the society.

“Let us not participate in issues that are not in line with the teaching of the Church, simply because they are being done by other people,” Bishop Muheria advised.

“Let us make every effort to be corruption-free and practice the moral uprightness for our religious goodness and equally for others to emulate us,” Bishop Muheria emphasized.