By Paschal Norbert
NAIROBI, MARCH 3, 2026 (CISA) – When the story of the Consolata Missionaries in Kenya is told, it is a narrative illuminated by decades of selfless evangelization, service, and the quiet, enduring witness of men and women who carried the Gospel into communities. Today, that story enters a new chapter, one authored not by missionaries alone, but by the lay faithful who have themselves been formed, inspired, and transformed by the Consolata charism.
The establishment of the St. Joseph Allamano Foundation is, in many ways, a spiritual homecoming, an act of gratitude, responsibility, and faith. It is a dream that began in the quiet reflections of the missionaries, and has since grown into a beacon of hope for future generations illuminated by the selfness of the faithful.
Today, the laity, men and women shaped through Consolata parishes, schools, and communities, have stepped forward to rekindle that dream, not in the shadows of hesitation but in the full light of mission.
This sense of gratitude and mission is reflected beautifully in the words of the Superior General of the Consolata Missionaries, Very Rev. James Bhola Lengarin, IMC. In his letter dated July 2, 2025, he captured the emotional weight of the Foundation’s emergence.
“After years of dreaming, planning, and persevering, the birth of this Foundation marks a monumental milestone, a dream hatched through dedication, compassion, and an unshakable commitment to serve humanity.”
His words extend beyond affirmation; they offer a blessing and a charge: “Each name above is not just a trustee, but a torchbearer of compassion, a builder of opportunity, and a steward of grace. May this mission continue to grow with the strength and spirit you’ve instilled from its very beginning.”
A Vision Born from Gratitude and Faith
One of those who helped revive this vision is Anne Wambui Mwicigi Muya, whose life has long been intertwined with Consolata spirituality. She recalls how the missionaries welcomed the renewed interest in the foundation with humility that surprised even her.
“One of the strongest indicators that this Foundation will succeed is the humility of the Consolata Missionaries,” she said, adding “They have deliberately chosen to step back and let the lay people lead, while offering spiritual guidance and oversight. Our Regional Superior often emphasizes that priests need not carry the entire burden of every project. Their core mission is evangelization. When they find trustworthy, competent lay people, they willingly allow them to take leadership.”
She reflected further on how their founding documents enshrine this trust by placing missionaries as patrons rather than decision-makers.
“They guide; we execute. This shifts responsibility to the Christian faithful, making us truly the heartbeat of the Foundation. The Missionaries have intentionally empowered us. They’re entrusting us with their name, their legacy, and their dream. That gives the Foundation a strong structural advantage,” says Wambui.
The Foundation is anchored by a distinguished team of trustees. Together, they embody the very best of lay leadership, professionally experienced, spiritually grounded, and deeply grateful for the missionary footprints that shaped their paths.
The trustees, whose backgrounds span law, finance, governance, engineering, business, and public service, represent a diverse team united not by professional ambition but by a shared sense of spiritual responsibility.
They include Senior Counsel Fred Ngatia, Paul Russo, Ruth Kulundu, George Kamau Kihara, Gerald Museti Masese, Mark Michael Macharia Ng’aru, Peter Munga, Jane Michuki, Agnes Wambui Mwicigi, Mwaniki Gachoka, and Elijah Githinji Itegi. Their humaneness is evident in the way they speak about the mission, not as an obligation but as a calling.
Each brings not just skill but heart, and each carries memories of Consolata missionaries whose ministries shaped their formative years. Many speak of feeling indebted in the purest, most spiritual sense, a desire to give back to the very hands that once lifted them.
A Faithful Giving-Back: Personal and Spiritual Awakening
What is emerging is a living partnership: missionaries guarding the spiritual flame, and lay collaborators building the structures that will carry that flame into future generations. This is why the Foundation is named after St. Joseph Allamano, founder of the Consolata Missionaries, whose simplicity and humility mirrored this collaborative model.
Wambui recalled that the choice of name was not simply symbolic: “Our choice of the name St. Joseph Allamano Foundation, instead of Consolata Missionaries Foundation, was very intentional. Allamano wanted the Missionaries to shine, not himself. But part of our mission is to make his story known again: his life, his spirituality, his call to sainthood before mission.”
This spirit of partnership is echoed by Mark Michael Macharia Ng’aru, one of the trustees, who affirmed the Foundation’s close integration with the missionary family.
“The settlor of the Trust is the Consolata Missionaries themselves. This is not a random foundation floating outside mission work. We’ll work hand in hand with the Missionaries to identify projects, raise funds, and gather resources, including talent. This is an extension of their mission, not a separate autonomous body. Oversight and guidance will remain, but operational leadership sits with us.”
His conviction is not merely administrative; it is born of faith. He says, “When you look at the Foundation’s priority areas, evangelization, education, health, humanitarian aid, peace and justice, environmental stewardship, these are ways of loving and serving God. St. Joseph Allamano taught that before being missionaries, we must first be saints. And sainthood is simply living out Christian virtues in everyday life.”
The Mission, Beyond Fundraising
This sense of calling resonates deeply with the trustees, many of whom bring decades of professional experience into service of the mission. Elijah Githinji Itegi, whose own academic and professional journey spans finance, management, and enterprise, spoke passionately about how much need there is for a trustworthy mechanism that channels people’s desire to give.
“Years ago, when Strathmore was still a college, I studied CPA there, and later did a Master’s in Finance. I’ve also run businesses for many years. Through that journey, I’ve noticed something: many people genuinely want to give back to society, but they simply haven’t been given a trustworthy vehicle through which to do it. Every time I tell friends about this Foundation, the response is almost always the same, ‘When it starts running, tell me. I want to be part of it.’ People are willing. They’re ready. They just need a credible, transparent, well-structured channel.”
For Gerald Museti Masese, the Foundation sits at the meeting point between talent and mission. He sees it not merely as a financial apparatus, but as a full, professional institution.
“That’s why I keep saying the Foundation should be understood not merely as a fundraising body, but as a full organization, with departments just like a company: finance, administration, operations. And the beauty is that we already have people serving in those roles.”
His engineering and project management background shape how he approaches mission.
“I’m very detail-oriented, and I love getting projects off the ground. But ultimately, what draws me here is the chance to give back to God with the very talents He has entrusted to me,” says Masese.
He emphasized that the Foundation is broad in scope. “This Foundation is broader than the Camissasa project that many people know. It’s about a range of activities aimed at uplifting communities. And when people with different professional skills, finance, legal, management, come together for God’s greater glory, the whole really becomes more than the sum of its parts.”
Gerald sees the Foundation as a space of learning and mentorship as well: “We also have a wide age demographic, which creates room for mentorship and transfer of skills. Personally, I’ve never worked in a foundation before. So even as I give, I’m learning. And I know this experience will equip me to replicate this work in other communities, including rural areas. Africa is rich with opportunities to give back.”
A Future Built on Faith, All are Welcome
As preparations continue, the trustees are working toward the official launch, now set for February 28, 2026, an event expected to awaken new energy across the Consolata parishes in Nairobi and the broader missionary territory. Wambui described the purpose of this unveiling with hope.
“Our official launch is scheduled for February 28. The vision is to unveil it among parishioners of the four Consolata Missionary parishes in Nairobi, with participation from other missions across Kenya. Between now and then, we aim to finalize our strategy, mission, vision, and objectives. We may not have accomplished much yet, but by launch day we’ll be clear on how parishioners can participate, not only in fundraising, but in sharing skills, volunteering, and partnering with us. You’ll also begin to see trustees taking key roles in various missionary projects, especially where their professional expertise fits.”
As the Foundation prepares for its public debut, the trustees have begun voicing an early appeal to parishioners and the wider faithful. Gerald shared the heart of this invitation with clarity.
“The heart of the message is simple: We are inviting parishioners to volunteer their skills, time, and experience, to serve God and transform lives. Not just money. People’s talents. Their abilities. Their compassion.”
Githinji’s earlier reflections on people longing for a trustworthy means to give back, deepen the weight of this call. And Wambui extends this invitation to something even more profound, the heart of gratitude.
“For many people, Consolata Missionaries have shaped their lives profoundly, through education, healthcare, village development, or simple encouragement. To whom much is given, much is expected. Our call is to reciprocate that generosity, to strengthen what strengthened us.”
In the end, the St. Joseph Allamano Foundation is more than an institution. It is the flowering of decades of missionary labour meeting decades of lay gratitude. It is a dream once held by missionaries alone, now embraced by the people they formed. It is the future of evangelization carried forward by those who once received the Gospel and now offer themselves to ensure it continues.
It is, beautifully, a mission of the faithful for the missionaries who first ministered to them, a legacy reborn, awakened, and offered to God.
