15th November, 2022

To:  All Christians of Kitui Catholic Diocese
       Through the priests

In all circumstances give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus (1Thessalonians 5:18).

We begun the month of November with joy, hope and thanksgiving. God has finally blessed us with rains. May the Saints in heaven continue to intercede for us in all our needs. Let us plant early and use the right seeds and manure where and when possible. Let us conserve the soil. May we have enough water and pasture as we await the harvest. We are God’s people, the sheep of his flock (Psalm 100:3) and he always cares for us.

I am so full to the brim with joy when I look back and see the successes we have made by walking and working together to build our dear diocese. The sense of ownership of the diocese by you all is quite encouraging. Together “we are the Church.” May our zeal to serve keep burning in each heart. In every parish there is a project in which people have been or are involved in aiming at making life better, especially for future generations. Let us work together to build the Kingdom of God. Let us be good stewards.

I have time and again invited and exhorted each Christian to promote self-reliance right from home. Being responsible at home helps to build a happy family, a thriving Church and a developed Nation. Be a good and loving parent. Be a dutiful child. Be a caring neighbour. Be a responsible Christian and a good citizen. Let us face challenges with zeal and determination aiming at transforming our society. Let us live saintly lives because “we are fellow citizens with the saints and are members of the household of God…..(Ephesians 2:19).

The present and the future of our diocese depends on us all. Those before us laid the foundation and built the church which we now enjoy its fruits. We need to build a legacy for those who shall come after us. We continue in the journey towards self-reliance in our diocese.

The Missionaries who have worked in our diocese used to receive funds from overseas through contributions made as support for Missionary work. While we still deserve support, we have also matured in faith and we now focus on saving and investing for the future generations. Our priests are getting old and deserve a decent retirement home. The number of seminarians is rising and the cost of their training is high. We need support for the parishes in the margins which are not able to support themselves fully. We need a fund to support education for the bright but needy students. The church should always respond in times of drought and famine. We need to give people hope and bring joy to them.

In several meetings with parish leaders and priests, and as a way to mark my 25 years as a priest and one year as a bishop, we agreed to start a self -reliance project dubbed “Thome Plaza Project.” We later agreed to request each Christian in our diocese to annually contribute towards this self-reliance project according to the following categories:

1. Primary School Pupils and below: Ksh 20
2. Secondary School Students Ksh. 100
3. Colleges and university Students: Ksh. 300
4. Youth out of School: Ksh. 500
5. Those in the informal sector Ksh. 500
6. Those who earn a salary or a decent income: Ksh. 1000

 (2 Corinthians 8: 8 I say this not by way of command).

This is purely voluntary and one is free to contribute more depending on one’s capacity and generosity. Individuals are also free to donate building materials.

I delayed to write this letter to you because of the tough times we are facing and also because of the other fundraising events that have been taking place like Parish Ngetha and the Diocesan Family Day (Muvothi) among others.

We are facing tough times due to the high cost of living and the effects of the Covid-19. Drought and famine continue to affect us negatively but God is always with us.

I passionately appeal to you to start contributing to this project. Let each one participate actively as we lay a firm foundation for the future. Future generations shall bless us as they enjoy the fruits of our sacrifices.

I propose that we use the period between December 2022 and March 2023 for this project so that after that we concentrate on Ngetha and Muvothi.

Let us seek to lead saintly lives. Let us walk together in harmony as children of the same Father in Heaven. May the saints in heaven intercede for us. Let us pray for the souls of the faithful departed asking God to welcome them into eternity.

I encourage our youth to work hard as I wish success to them all and especially to those preparing for National Examinations.

Let us rejoice in the many blessings God has showered upon us. As we approach Advent, may we learn to wait with joyful hope for the fulfillment of God’s promises to us.

I commend you all to the intercessions of our Lady of Protection and All the Saints.

X Joseph Mwongela
    Bishop of Kitui

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