Blessed and Merry Christmas

The Crib in Nairobi

The community of Fathers, Brother, Sisters of the Society of St Pius X in Kenya

is happy to wish you a blessed and joyous Christmas.

May Our Lord Jesus Christ bring His Charity, Peace and Joy in your hearts and in your families.

Operation $5 for Kenya

In January 2016, the first foundation of the Missionary Sisters of Jesus and Mary will be established at Holy Cross Priory, Nairobi, Kenya.
Therefore, we launch a large campaign of fund raising in order to support the current expenses of the Priory with Priests and Brother, and of the new congregation of Missionary Sisters, who will work together for the poor children of the area, of the school and of the church.
If two thousand people could give five dollars per month only, we would have enough means to support the two communities and to go ahead with the school building.
You can be one of these two thousand people. Talk with your friends and relatives. Have a part in our adventure!
Thank you so much to all our benefactors! May God bless your generosity!

Rev. Fr. Nicolas Bély

Rev. Fr. Pierre Champroux

The Three Sisters

Today, we have received from our Superiors the good news that three Missionary Sisters of Jesus and Mary will establish their first foundation at Holy Cross Priory in Lavington, Nairobi. Sister Irene of Jesus, Superior, will come with Sister Helen Mary and Sister Clara.

As the building of the school is not finished yet, the Sisters will rent a small house in the neighbourhood from the month of January 2016. When the construction will go on, we'll prepare a special flat for the Sisters at the 3rd floor of the school.

The Sisters' apostolate will consist essentially in taking care of the children. There is so many of them here! The children of the school, those of the families of the parish, those who come for catechism on Saturday or for patronage on Wednesday... So far, so good, the Sisters will attract so many of them!

During holidays, every Wednesday, the Sisters organise a patronage with various activities like rosary or Holy Mass but also crayoning and games. And every Saturday during the year, they teach catechism, after Holy Mass and school tuitions.

Preparation of the Crib

During the whole week, four carpenters and four electricians have been working hard at Holy Cross Church, under Brother Rémy's supervision, in order to improve the choir loft. The carpenters have settled the ceiling underneath. The electricians have put a good number of lights under and above the choir loft. The painter also has done a good work on the ceiling.
Two Sisters and three postulants have come today to install the Crib and four Christmas trees, with electric garlands and very nice decoration. Several small girls, after they passed their oral test of Catechism, assisted the Sisters in their work. What a beautiful result! Everything is ready almost for Christmas!

Camp & retreat in Kiserian

Wishing to prepare the young people of the parish to manage the future camps for boys or girls, we have organised a few day camp at the beginning of December. Half training camp, half Ignatian retreat.

During five days, Fr. Champroux went with six young men in a beautiful compound disposed to us in the countryside. Four Sisters came with him in order to take care of the nine young girls. The boys and the girls met only for the morning Mass and for the spiritual conferences. A first conference was given in the morning at 9, followed by a 15 mn meditation. The same was done in the afternoon between 4 and 5. For the evening prayer, they sang Complines. In a few days, our young people received the main steps of the Ignatian retreat. It was the first retreat that Fr. Champroux preached in English! Honestly, he made it quite well!

Three members of the Scout Organisation of Kenya came on the camp site and organised a day of initiation to the Scout method. Each one of the 30 participants (all the sisters & postulants joined the training) received their Initiation Training Certificate. This is a first step to have qualified people to take care of the children of the priory during the future camps. Kenya is very attentional about childhood!

The six boys showed themselves profoundly prayerful and very helpful! The confreres who have been in Kenya before us made a very good work on their altar boys! The girls are expecting the coming soon of the Sisters at the priory: this will be a great benefice for their souls!

Look at the pictures!

Priest Retreat

From 23^rd to 28^th November, most of the priests of the Africa District of the Society of St Pius X gathered together in Johannesburg, South Africa, for their annual retreat. The retreat was preached by Rev. Fr. COUTURE, District Superior of Canada. Eleven priests, one brother and two sisters, of various nationalities, came from Gabon, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa to attend the retreat.
Our three African priests were present:

• Rev. Fr. Prudent BALOU, Prior of the Mission in Gabon
• Rev. Fr. James NGARURO (Kenyan), Vicar in Zimbabwe
• Rev. Fr. Pius NANTHAMBWE (Zimbabwean), Vicar in Gabon

What a pleasure to gather and pray together for these few days!

And to praise Our Lord Who made us His priests!

The sound of music

The ceremony of the Missionary Sisters of Jesus and Mary gave a room for festive celebration with the religious community and the families. The Sisters enjoyed our ears with their sweet songs and melodies.
They sing in English, French, Swahili (Kenya), Igbo (Nigeria), Punu (Gabon), Tagalog (Philippines), German and Italian! They also play piano, flute, guitar and accordion!
Really, our Missionary Sisters have got talent!

Religious veture and professions

The feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple is also the feast of the taking of habit and religious professions of the Missionary Sisters of Jesus and Mary.
Two Nigerian ladies have received the religious habit and a religious name: Sister Mary Angela and Sister Mary Michaella.
Two sisters have pronounced their first religious vows: Sister Clara, from Gabon, and Sister Helen-Mary, from France.

Enjoy the pictures!

Father Nély in Kenya!

During the days before the religious ceremony of the Missionary Sisters of Jesus and Mary, Rev. Fr. Nély, Second General Assistant of the Society of St Pius X, honoured the priory of his presence in Kenya. We are grateful of his indefectible support to our missionary work, and also for rejuvenating always our joy and courage!
In a community outing, we have got a chance to visit Naivasha Lake, and to walk quietly in the midst of giraffes, wildebeests, impalas, elands, buffalos, baboons and so many species of birds. God be thanked for the wonderful nature!

Confirmations

As on the Apostles on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost came to spread his flame over the souls of His children. This Sunday 8th November 2015, His Excellency Bishop Alfonso de Galaretta, Auxiliary Bishop of the Society of St Pius X, honoured Holy Cross Priory by His presence and gave the sacrament of Confirmation to 34 children and adults. Therefore, there are 34 new soldiers in Kenya of Jesus Christ, who have received the Holy Ghost with the plenitude of his gifts, in order to spread around them the light of the true Faith and the heat of Charity. "Peace be with you" the Bishop says when he strikes them on the cheek. By these words, he engages them to combat!

Christ the King of Kenya

The feast of Christ the King was celebrated with dignity at Holy Cross Priory in Kenya, with a procession of the Blessed Sacrament followed by all the faithful in the priory gardens. Everyone gave of his heart and of his time for the beauty of the ceremony. A very big thank you to the sisters for the beauty of the altars, to the altar boys for the beauty of the liturgy, to the choir and to all the faithful for the beauty of the hymns in English, Latin and Swahili.

Enjoy the slide show!

18 October 2015: Mission Sunday

Dear Friends,

Children's prayer at the Grotto after Catechism

As the Mission Sunday 18^th October 2015 is coming soon, the missionary Priests, Brother and Sisters of Kenya are happy to address you this letter in order to ask for your prayers and donations for the mission, the convent and the school in Kenya.

Holy Cross Priory was founded in 2003 in Nairobi and has today 2 priests, 1 brother and about 200 faithful who come to Mass every Sunday. The priory is located beside the slum of Kawangware, which offers to many children from poor background the opportunity to come and pray at the church. Our Saturday activities are fully consecrated to them: they come to attend Mass in the morning, then they are offered a lunch, and in the afternoon the priests, sisters and catechists teach them catechism and help them with their school homework and with various activities of Christian life. 

This year 2015, we have achieved some work to beautify, re-paint and enlighten the chapel that is now so nice for the Glory of God Who lives in it and for the peace of the souls who come to pray there. All this has been made possible thanks to your many donations and to the devotion of a certain German faithful who spent six months in Kenya to realise this work. A great thank you to all those who have contributed.

Help us to finish this school building!

The Noviciate of the Missionary Sisters of Jesus and Mary was founded in 2010 by Bishop Fellay. Today they are around twenty profess, novice and postulant Sisters, who prepare themselves for their future missionary apostolate of teaching and medical work. They are impatient to complete their formation and to start these various charitable works. Unfortunately, to obtain the necessary qualification demands time and money… which we do not have yet!

The kindergarten and primary school Holy Cross Academy was founded in 2012 and has now around 50 pupils. This number should increase when we’ll start the new school year in January 2016. We only have 3 classrooms for 8 education levels. The school is too small. In May 2014, we have started the construction of a larger building. But the lack of funds forced us to interrupt the work at the end of the year 2014.

Our project is therefore to review the size of the building and to adjust it with a lower budget. An architect and an engineer are already working on it. With this new project, we shall have 4 or 5 additional classrooms, and also a fully equipped flat where the Sisters can stay and devote themselves on site for the children’s education. The cost of this new project is roughly 200 000 $.

This is how, on the same plot, we shall have the Catholic priory, chapel and school, with the permanent presence of the priests, brother and sisters. This project is an extraordinary chance for the Nairobian children. They are taught the Catholic catechism. They can attend the Traditional Mass every day. They receive an adequate preparation for sacraments. And all this teaching will be provided by religious Nuns and Catholic teachers.

All this will be possible through your generosity. Thank you very much in advance for your donations and prayers on this Mission Sunday. Every day, the community of the Priests, Brother and Sisters prays the Holy Rosary for all your intentions; and every Wednesday, the children of the school attend the Holy Mass celebrated for their benefactors!

May Our Lady of Africa bless you abundantly!

Fr. Nicolas Bély

Marriage at Holy Cross Church

This 7th October 2015, John and Caroline MUNGA united to each other in the Sacrament of Matrimony at Holy Cross Church. A new family of the Parish has been blessed by God in this sacrament of which St Paul says: "This is a great Sacrament in Christ and in the Church" (Ep 5:32).

What a wonderful testimony while, in Rome, the Synod on the family has just started! Let us pray for the Pope and the Bishops of the Catholic Church, especially for Cardinal John NJUE, Archbishop of Nairobi, who is amongst the African Prelates who stand strong to defend the Catholic Doctrine about Marriage.

Prayer of St Therese of the Child Jesus for Missionaries

Divine Jesus, hear the prayer I offer you for your Missionaries. Keep them safe amid the dangers of the world. Make them feel increasingly the nothingness and vanity of passing things and the happiness of being able to despise them for your love. May they carry out their sublime apostolate on those around them. May they be apostles worthy of your Sacred Heart.

O Mary! gentle Queen of Carmel, it is to you that I entrust the souls of the Missionaries. Teach them even now how lovingly you handled the Divine Child Jesus and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, so that they may worthily go up to the Holy Altar and carry in their hands the King of Heaven.

I ask you also to keep them safe beneath the shadow of your virginal mantle until the happy day when they leave this valley of tears and can contemplate your splendor and enjoy for all eternity the fruits of their glorious apostolate.

Amen.

Bro. Rémy renews his religious vows

This Tuesday 29^th September 2015, Brother Rémy renewed his religious vows of obedience, chastity and poverty for another year. He pronounced his first vows two years ago at the Seminary of Flavigny, France.

The feast of St Michael the Archangel is the feast of all the Reverend Brothers of the Society of St Pius X. They are about 110 brothers all over the world, and are devoted as the priests’ auxiliaries to assist them in their priestly ministry. They are such a wonderful spiritual and also material support for the priests. They prepare the priest’s coming in every missionary place and piously offer their work for sacristy, liturgical service, Gregorian chant, building Chapels and Priories, and so many other things that involved them directly to the service of Our Lord’s Altar.
For this circumstance, Fr. Bély celebrated a Sung Mass and Bro Rémy pronounced his vows after the homily. A few parish members made the effort to attend Mass on this weekday. The ceremony was much recollected. Such a wonderful atmosphere for a Brother who offers his whole life to his Lord and Savior!

The Shanty Town

Our priory is only 5 metres away from the slum of Kawangware. The first shops are just behind along the wall. We share somehow the same rhythm, the reality of poverty and human misery, and also a swelling of life, the incomparable smile of the children who find their happiness in playing simple games together.

Most of the pupils of our school live in this shanty town. But only 10% of them come to Mass on Sunday: we still have much work on our plate! Protestant churches are very active in this kind of slums. Some self-styled pastors pretend they have a certain power because they read Bible. But in fact, they are just imposters who take advantage of people’s misery and credulity.

Our role is to spread the supernatural gifts of Faith and Grace to those people and to lead them to a religious practice. The poverty and insanity in which they live is far beyond our capacity of helping them. Our concern is mainly religious and moral: how to live a virtuous life in such a misery. Our role is to raise their souls to God, to chase away the vices, to spread the recourse of Grace and the light of Faith.

Every Saturday, the children are invited to attend the 11am Mass. Then they are offered a lunch. At 1pm, they receive extra-school tuitions. At 2pm, they receive a lesson of catechism. At 3pm, the boys practice their altar service, while the girls are taken care of by the sisters until 4pm. Every Saturday is devoted to the children from 11am to 4pm.

Then, from 4pm to 6pm, the teenagers and students of the parish receive teachings on Christian Doctrine. Then have a holy hour of adoration or a Gregorian chant practice. Several catechists assist the priests and sisters, who are mainly Europeans and are not fluent at all in Swahili!

Karibu Kenya, Father Peter !

This Wednesday 9^th September 2015, we were happy to welcome Rev. Fr. Pierre CHAMPROUX, whom you can call Father Peter!

He comes to Kenya as Vicar Priest to replace Rev. Fr. Matthew STAFKI who received a new assignment in Canada on August 31. Fr Peter will be of great help to the prior, Rev. Fr. Nicolas BÉLY, and to Brother Rémy.

Fr. Peter is a French priest, ordained in 2004 in Ecône, Switzerland. He exercised his priestly ministry in Switzerland for four years, then in Belgium for six years and lastly in France  for a year. He arrives in Kenya full of energy and resources!

As we say in Swahili: Karibu Kenya! Welcome to Kenya!

History of SSPX in Kenya

19 May 2005. Baptism ceremony in Karen by Fr. Nouveau

The Society of St Pius X was established in Kenya on 3^rd September 2003 by Rev. Fr. Anthony ESPOSITO, the first prior, and Rev. Fr. GRÜN. They had a very simple life at the beginning. The priory was only a hut in a faithful’s property. The chapel was another hut beside.

In April 2004, Fr. Esposito managed to purchase a property in Karen where he settled the first priory. Though, exhausted by so much work for the settlement of the priory, he had to leave Kenya in June 2004 and was replaced by Rev. Fr. Christophe NOUVEAU, who became the prior until 2014. For four years he received the support of the valiant Fr. Denis BEDEL.

In 2005, Fr. Nouveau purchased a plot in Lavington, a nice suburb closer to the city centre, and also very close to the slum of Kawangware, where the priests already used to give catechism to some poor families. This geographical situation opens great perspectives to reach all social classes of the Kenyan society.

On the same year, Fr. Nouveau built a chapel on that plot, though with a very tight budget. The chapel was blessed on 20^th March 2006 by H.E. Bishop Bernard FELLAY and is named Holy Cross Church.

Welcome to the new blog of the Society St Pius X in Kenya!

This blog is dedicated to the Catholic Faithful in Kenya, and to all those who like the Traditional Catholic Liturgy and endeavour to spread its celebration in Eastern Africa.

You can find here the parish notices of Holy Cross Church, some information about the kindergarten and primary school Holy Cross Academy, and also some news of the various projects.

And last, but not at least, you can find some prayers which you can say by yourself or with your family for the missionary priests, brothers and sisters, who pray also for you.

May Jesus-Christ reign in Kenya, in Africa and in all our hearts!