ELDORET, FEBRUARY 4, 2020 (CISA)-Bishop Marvyn Maceda of the Catholic Diocese of San Jose de Antique, Philippines has assured of their continued partnership with the Catholic diocese of Lodwar, even with the exit of Bishop Dominic Kimengich.
Since 2017 the diocese the Diocese of San Jose de Antique has been sending priests under the Fidei Donum program to help meet the scarcity of priests in Lodwar.
“The Fidei Donum program was started by my predecessor who later became an archbishop. When I took over the diocese on April 9, 2019, I continued with it,” Bishop Maceda told CISA on the eve of Bishop Kimengich’s installation in Eldoret.
Bishop Maceda said he travelled to Kenya to return favour to Bishop Kimengich who also attended his installation, in order to strengthen the ties between the two dioceses. He also used the time to visit the Fidei Donum priests from Philippines working in the catholic diocese of Lodwar.
Even with the declining vocations in his diocese, Bishop Maceda assured that the partnership will continue.
“The program benefits both dioceses since we are able to expand our mission to other places especially those that need help. Mill Hill Fathers started the diocese many year ago and my predecessor saw it fit to return the favour by sending missionary priests to Lodwar,” he noted.
Fr Frederick Tordesillas Rubido a Fidei Donum priest at St. James Parish Kaikor in the Catholic Diocese of Lowdar acknowledged the contribution of the program to his priestly life.
“Working in Lodwar is not easy. From the parish you have to travel 230 Kilometers to Lodwar town, which would take 7 hours. Sometimes you get punctures on the way, sleep on the road, you experience everything. Some people carrying guns will stop you, something we are not used to that in the Philippines,” he said.
On the event of his transfer to the Catholic diocese of Eldoret, Bishop Kimengich appreciated the Catholic diocese of San Jose de Antique for their support to the Church in Lowdar and for heeding his request to send priests.
