The Mexican nuns had discussed the matter with the bishop of the diocese of Lod-war, Patrick Joseph Harrington, an Irish who belongs to the Society of African Mis-sion, and with the Spanish missionary, Manuel Hernandez, a member of the Missio-nary Community of St. Paul the Apostle and Mary, Mother of the Church (MCSPA).
Q. What is it that really attracted you to Kenya?
A. We are not familiar with other places, but as far as Lodwar is concerned, we know of its underdevelopment, the extreme poverty and the drought that the people suffer; we are also aware of the great labors of the church to help, spiritually and materially, all the peoples of this “Turkana” region. The area is considered to be in its first stage of evangelization; it’s but some forty years ago that the works began here.
Q. What do you think of the monastery that the Augustinian Recollect nuns of the Spanish Federation founded in Wote?
A. The convent is beautiful and simple and the community is admirable because in just three years after its foundation, it is now flourishing with vocations and the young sisters show interest in their formation. We were edified by the cordial and fraternal welcome they extended to us. As time passes they grow confident that they will be remaining in the place, discerning with faith, determination and integrity the difficulties and needs that are normally experienced at the start of any foundation. In spite of these, Mother Maria Jose Vila Maravilla, the in-charge of the community at present, together with all the sisters are in their best disposition to accommodate our Mexican sisters. This will orient the newcomers to the local culture and help them practice the English language they have learned, until it’s time for them to transfer to their own monastery.
There’s a considerable distance between Wote and Lodwar, which is found in the northeast of Kenya. Distances
Q. How far is Lodwar from Wote?
A. There’s a considerable distance between Wote and Lodwar, which is found in the northeast of Kenya. It will take you two hours by car from Nairobi to Wote. On the other hand you need more than two hours of flight, or two-day travel if you take the road, from Nairobi to Lodwar.
Q. What’s the role of the Augustinian Recollect contemplatives in Kenya?
A. Contemplative life is appreciated, valued and considered important by the univer-sal church for evangelization, and much more in the diocese of Lodwar where no contemplative community exists. For quiet a long time the diocese has desired to have contemplatives in the jurisdiction to serve as “source of blessings for the diocese and an example of spiritual life for the ‘Turkana’ people” , this is the statement of the letter soliciting the foundation. And all the priests of the diocese agree with this request.
Q. How did the idea of a new foundation begin?
A. As far as we know it began with Fr. Francisco Andreo Garcia, the founder, and Fr. Manuel Hernandez, a member of the “Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle and Mary, Mother of the Church”. When the two went to the monastery in Wote in order to help the sisters with their deep well, it occurred to them the possibility of having Augustinian Recollects nuns also in the diocese of Lodwar. But when Fr. Hernandez went to Leon (Spain) to ask Mother Maria Cruz Aznar, the president of the Federation, to open a monastery in Lodwar, he was told that the Federation lacks personnel. Instead Fr. Hernandez was asked to approach the Spanish Claretians and the Augustinian Recollect nuns of Mexico. We do not know whether Fr. Manuel wrote at the same time to both congregations. What we know is that the president of the federation of Mexico received the first communication on February 2, 2008, and the official invitation was sent to us by Mons. Patrick Joseph Harrington, the bishop of Lodwar, on the 4th of October of the same year. This was after the prior general, Fr. Javier Guerra, Ayala, talked about the matter with the bishop during the inauguration of the Monastery of Our Lady of Consolation in Wote. Since then things went on more and more to the favor of the founding of the monastery, and this also occasioned our visit to Lodwar last October.
Q. Are you going to construct anew monastery or will you be occupy-ing an existing building?
A. Right from the very beginning they have offered to construct and furnish a monastery for the sisters, not with the money from the diocese because they do not have, but with the subsidy that they expect to receive from foreign sources for their pastoral projects. Meanwhile, the sisters will live with the Augustinian Recollects in Wote until August when they could transfer to the monastery in Lodwar.
Q. How can we collaborate?
A. Not for the construction of the monastery, but for the initial expenses of the com-munity while the nuns find their own resources.
Q. Have works in the construction started?
A. We received the news that they have already dug a well that produces 10,000 liters an hour. They also built an overhead tank to supply water by gravity and a perimeter wall to separate a nearby school from the convent. The installation of power lines for electric power have been completed, and within this month the construction proper of the monastery will begin, hopefully to be inaugurated on the 28th of August.
Q. How many sisters will go to Kenya and when will they go?
A. There will be five religious coming from the three communities of the federation, Papalotha, Cuernavaca, and Guraciaba do Norte, Brazil. They are, Sor Maria Belen Josefina Ortiz Mondragon, Sor Ana Ma. Martinez Mata, Sor Maricela Gonzalez Es-calona, Sor Anita Angel Aviles, and Sor Angelina Miriam Perez Duran. The sisters sent greetings to Mons. Harrington and recognized him as their bishop, to which the prelate responded warmly with paternal welcome and inspired them to respond gene-rously to the work entrusted to them by God.
The last four will go to Kenya this April or May, and Sor Angelina will follow much later, after her studies at CIRM (Conference of Religious Institutes of Mexico) on religious formation, which just began this February and will end in July.
Sisters who will travel to Kenya. Work and Culture
Q. Any kind of manual work for the sisters? How will the community be sustained?
A. The sisters will produce hosts for the Mass, something original in the dioceses since no one produces these. They will also prepare school uniforms and decorative embroideries. There are already offers to sell these. The other possibility is the culti-vation of vegetables and fruits. And add to these the donations that we expect to receive from foreign sources.
Q. How is the acceptance of the Augustinian Recollect contemplative life among the African youth and their families?
A. Our opinion is based on the experience of our sisters in Wote. They have numer-ous vocations. This should be seen, however, as God’s gift to realize the life of the youth, and for this reason, their parents do not hinder the choice of their children to enter the monastery, although there are cases when some persons misinterpret the roots and purpose of contemplative life.
Mons. Harrington desires to inaugurate the monastery on August 28, 2010 since the founders have chosen St. Augustine as patron. This is a decision that the bishop considers very appropriate knowing that Augustine was not only an African, he is a Doctor of the Church and to him the Cathedral of Lodwar is dedicat-ed.