By Paschal Norbert

NAIROBI,  MARCH 3, 2026 (CISA) – On February 28, 2026, the grounds of the Consolata Shrine in Westlands, Nairobi, were transformed into sacred space and living memory as the Consolata Missionaries of the Kenya-Uganda Region gathered with the faithful to commemorate the first centenary of the birth into heaven of St. Joseph Allamano.

One hundred years after the passing of the founder of the Consolata Missionaries, priests, brothers, and sisters, his spiritual legacy drew together generations shaped by his missionary charism. The celebration, coming just days after the Regional Assembly in Sagana, was both a solemn remembrance and a confident renewal of purpose.

The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, Archbishop Bert van Megen, assisted by Consolata missionary bishops and the Regional Council led by the Regional Superior, Very Rev. Zachary Kariuki, IMC. It was a moment that blended ecclesial dignity with missionary warmth, an assembly of shepherds, religious, and laity united in gratitude.

Also present were the active and retired Consolata missionary bishops serving in Kenya, listed in order of episcopal ordination from youngest to oldest: Rt. Rev. Jackson Murugara, IMC, Bishop of Meru; Rt. Rev. Peter Makau Munguti, IMC, Bishop of Isiolo; Rt. Rev. Hieronymus Joya, IMC, Bishop of Maralal; Rt. Rev. Peter Kariuki Kihara, IMC, Bishop of Marsabit; and Rt. Rev. Anthony Ireri Mukobo, IMC, Emeritus Bishop of Isiolo. The only absence among the fraternity was Rt. Rev. Virgilio Pante, IMC, Emeritus Bishop of Maralal who is recuperating from a recurrent illness. Their presence symbolized the enduring fruit of Allamano’s missionary seed in Kenya’s vast and challenging terrains.

“The Consolata Is Not an Idea-It Is a Living Mission”

In his homily, Archbishop van Megen invited the congregation to move beyond mere historical commemoration. He characterized St. Joseph Allamano not simply as a founder of an institute, but as a man consumed by missionary zeal and fidelity to the Church.

“We stand before a memory that is not fading but flourishing,” the Nuncio declared, adding “We remember a patient and faithful servant of God. A man who waited nearly a century, 98 years, for his heroic virtues to be recognized by the Church through his canonization on 20th October 2024. Yet long before the official recognition by the Church, his sanctity had already been alive in the hearts of his spiritual sons and daughters.”

He described Allamano as a priest deeply rooted in prayer and unwavering in trust in Divine Providence. The saint’s greatness, he noted, was not in grand gestures but in daily perseverance, forming missionaries, encouraging holiness, and nurturing a spirit of evangelization that would outlive him.

“We do not gather here to simply mark a day or to turn a page in history. We gather because a life like his cannot be confined to the past. We gather to honour a man whose quiet strength, unwavering trust, and burning missionary zeal reshaped the course of mission in Kenya and far beyond its borders,” he said.

The papal diplomat described Allamano’s passing a century ago not as an end, but as a beginning, a seed entrusted to the fertile soil of the Church. That seed, he observed, has grown into a mighty and flourishing tree.

“The seed he planted in faith has grown, and we are witnesses to it,” he said, declaring “It is a living and flourishing tree whose branches stretch across continents and generations, and whose fruits continue to nourish countless lives.”

Referencing the heart of his message, the Nuncio emphasized that the story begun by Allamano continues to unfold in the Kenya-Uganda Region and beyond. The enduring vitality of the Consolata charism, he noted, is visible in dioceses, parishes, schools, and missions where the missionary spirit remains alive.

“Today, therefore, we not only celebrate his memory but the enduring light of his witness,” Archbishop van Megen stated, “A light that has not dimmed with time. On the contrary, it shines brightly, inspiring us to greater generosity and challenging us to deeper fidelity in our missionary calling.”

A Foundation Born from Gratitude and Responsibility

The centenary celebration was not only reflective but forward-looking. A significant highlight of the day was the formal launch of the St. Joseph Allamano Foundation, a lay-driven initiative inspired by the missionary spirit that has shaped countless lives through Consolata parishes, schools, and apostolates.

In a symbolic moment, the Foundation’s Trust Deed was presented for blessing by the Nuncio. Leading the team of professionals was Senior Counsel Fred Ngatia, the Chairperson of the Foundation, who articulated with clarity and conviction the objectives of the new initiative.

Senior Counsel Ngatia described the Foundation as a structured response of gratitude from the laity formed within the Consolata missionary tradition. He underscored that the Foundation is not intended to replace or overshadow the missionary mandate of the Consolata Fathers and Sisters, but rather to complement and strengthen it.

“The Foundation,” he explained, “seeks to mobilize lay expertise and resources in support of the missionary work that has shaped our lives. We stand here not as benefactors, but as beneficiaries who now assume responsibility.”

He outlined the core objectives of the Foundation: to provide sustainable financial and professional support for missionary projects; to strengthen education, health, and pastoral initiatives rooted in the Consolata charism; and to ensure that the missionary vision of St. Joseph Allamano continues to flourish in future generations.

The Foundation, he noted, will operate within sound governance structures, guided by transparency, accountability, and fidelity to Catholic social teaching. It aims to create a platform where professionals, formed by Consolata spirituality, can offer their competence in law, finance, governance, engineering, business, and public service for the advancement of mission.

“We are not creating a parallel mission,” Senior Counsel Ngatia emphasized. “We are reinforcing the one mission, so that the missionary flame lit by Allamano burns brighter in our time.”

The Foundation is anchored by a distinguished team of trustees whose professional backgrounds span law, finance, governance, engineering, business, and public service. Yet, as was repeatedly emphasized, their unity does not stem from professional ambition but from shared spiritual indebtedness.

These are men and women whose lives were shaped in Consolata parishes, schools, and communities. Now, stepping into structured leadership, they embody a mature expression of lay co-responsibility in the Church’s mission.

The launch of the Foundation signaled a new chapter, one in which the laity consciously and collectively assume a complementary role in sustaining missionary outreach.

One hundred years after his passing, St. Joseph Allamano’s legacy remains vibrantly present in Kenya’s dioceses, parishes, schools, and missions. From the rugged landscapes of Marsabit and Maralal to the pastoral heartlands of Meru and Isiolo, and the fertile lands of Uganda, his charism continues to bear fruit.

In the words of the Apostolic Nuncio, “The best way to honour St. Joseph Allamano is not only to remember him, but to live what he lived.”