By Arnold Neliba
HOMA BAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 (CISA)-“Do you think an intelligent girl is going to join the sisterhood because she is going to sweep the floor of someone? No! No! We also need those bright brains in those women, we also need those women from the university to come and join us so that they can become heads of primary, secondary and even universities,” Archbishop Zacchaeus Okoth, Emeritus of the Catholic archdiocese of Kisumu opined while addressing priests and religious working in the Catholic diocese of Homa bay.
The prelate who had joined Bishop Michael Otieno Odiwa of Homa Bay during his first anniversary celebration as bishop urged religious communities to integrate their charism with professionalism for effective apostolate in the modern time. He noted that a shortage in human resource among priests and religious has forced handing over of institutions to the lay people.
“We need them (religious) also to be proficient and if they are professionals then they can be able to supplement pastoral work we are doing in our parishes. We must promote the religious also to become professionals,” he said calling for a continuity in the works the religious started in primary education, secondary tertiary education.
Borrowing from the Pope’s message “What would the church be without consecrated life?” Bishop Odiwa encouraged priests and religious to discern and choose what is good.
“Religious houses and societies have their charisms and the Pope is encouraging you that you continue to choose the best for you and that is where the speech of his grace is really relevant. To live life knowing that it is worth giving and you choose what you can do as a matter of your charism as a person and as a congregation so that this makes life livable for you and for the people who are beneficiaries,” Bishop Odiwa echoed Archbishop Okoth’s sentiments.
As he marked one year since he took over Homa Bay diocese, Bishop Odiwa encouraged priests and religious working in the diocese to acknowledge their work and diligently work for the faithful in their jurisdiction.
Bishop Odiwa was ordained and installed third bishop of Homa bay on February 8 2021.
