NAIROBI SEPTEMBER 15, 2015(CISA) – John Cardinal Njue has called upon Christians and well wishers to support the beatification process of Servant of God Maurice Cardinal Otunga.
“Servant of God Maurice Michael Otunga touched the hearts of many through his leadership, concern for the less fortunate and promotion of justice. His beatification process needs financial resources to facilitate investigations, data collection and analysis, preparation of documentation like his biography, publicity through the mass media and running the beatification office. This needs your support,” said Cardinal Njue in a speech read by his Executive Secretary Fr Calisto Nyagilo.
Speaking during a golf tournament in aid of the beatification process at Royal Nairobi Golf Club on September 11, Cardinal Njue thanked all Christians and people of good will for their prayers and generous support towards the process so far.
“The second phase of the process of beatification and Canonization of Servant of God Cardinal Maurice Otunga is progressing very well. We thank all Christians and people of good will for their prayers and generous support to the process. The process is thorough and time consuming. This requires a lot of patience and awareness among our people through education and involvement,” noted the Cardinal.
He said that the beatification process was “a faith-deepening moment as well as a consoling fact that it does not matter where you come from for you to become a saint.”
This year the Church witnessed the beatification of blessed Irene Nyaatha, an Italian-born Consolata missionary sister in Nyeri.
“Indeed the Servant of God Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga was born in western Kenya, Bungoma diocese among the Bukusu. He became a Catholic Christian, a priest, a bishop and a cardinal. He worked in Mombasa as secretary to the Apostolic Education, Kisumu as auxiliary bishop, In Kisii as the Ordinary and in Nairobi as the Archbishop,” he said.
“On his simplicity of lifestyle he touched the lives of many people. We must celebrate his human and Christian virtues which have made him a hero of patience, humility, prayer life, charitable life and faithfulness in the gospel values,” concluded Cardinal Njue.
