Building Hope in Githurai
Domenic Cusmano
In Githurai, a suburb of about 100,000 people northeast of the capital Nairobi, the new Consolata Church has just been completed. Githurai Catholic Parish is a sprawling circular building with a great deal of land around it. I can hardly imagine that such a large church is ever full. Father Lukas Juma, IMC, is the parish priest. We go inside the rectory, and Father Lucas pours us a cool glass of water. I tell him how impressed I am by the grandeur of the church building. It has seating for over 2000 people, he tells me.
But is such a large church ever full? “On Sundays we receive over 4000 parishioners,” Father Lucas tells me. I nearly fall off my chair. I can’t imagine that many people in a church in any Western country, not even for a royal wedding or a state funeral. He notices my surprise. “Well,” he explains, “about 1000 people come to early mass at 7:00 am. About 2000 more come to the 9:00 o’clock mass, and about 1000 people come at 11:00 o’clock.” Mass is also celebrated daily during the week for thousands more.
Clearly, the new church building was a necessity. “We have the physical structure for the spiritual needs of our community, however we are still in need of many resources for the more day-to-day concerns,” Father Lukas continues. “The vast majority of the people of Githurai are under 25 years of age, and most are unemployed. We must also turn our attention to issues of a more practical nature.” For this reason, the parish is planning to acquire tables and chairs for its meeting hall, so it can train catechists and parish animators.
The aim is also to use the facilities to organize workshops and seminars for young people, giving the residents of Githurai a reason to be optimistic about their future. Githurai is growing, and the needs of the community are growing with it. Can the parish keep pace?
