Local news – 30.11.10 - By Mary Tioko - St. Andrews Small Christian Community celebrate their saint day

The St. Andrews small christian community from St. Augustine's Cathedral Lodwar today received new members in their community as they celebrate their saints feast day. The celebration that started early in the morning with mass had its climax at 3.00pm where 5 infants from the 5 families were received in the catholic church through baptism. Speaking during the baptism Fr. Angel Valdivia instructed the God parents of the children and the whole Jumuiya to nurture the 5 infants in the Catholic values.
Speaking during his homily in the morning mass Fr. John Kizito Manzi also talked on the history of St. Andrews saying that he was one of the first disciples of Jesus. He was called with his brother who is Simon Peter. Fr. Manzi said that Andrew was by then in charge of fishermen when he was called by Jesus to become in-charge now of human being for he was told that he will become a fisher of men.
The priest said that it was Andrews who pointed out to the lord the boy carrying the 5 loaves and the two fish. He encouraged St. Andrews members to emulate his example of looking out on the needs of the people in the society and providing help just as Andrew did as he provided help for the people during that time. The priest said that Andrews went and followed Jesus and invites all people to follow Jesus without giving excuses.
Fr. Manzi also added that when people are formed they should not turn back again. He also said that people have to seek the face of the lord in this time of Advent. He urged them to be fishers of men just like Andrew and listen to christ voice that says come follow me. He also said that Advent is a time of reflection, self searching and of turning back to God our father so as to receive the baby Jesus in our hearts.

LOCAL NEWS – 17.11.2010 - By Mary Tioko - St. Elizabeth Small christian communities celebrate their saint day in style

The christian community of st. Augustine cathedral has today received 12 infants who were baptised in the church to mark st. Elizabeth day. The mass that brought together 2 members from each small christian communities from st. Augustines Jumuiyas was animated by the members of St. Elizabeth and later the guest were served with lunch as a sign of unity. Fr. Simon Mutai said in his homily that children have to be brought to church and brought up in the catholic faith. The parents have to undergo catechism and later teach their children. Fr. Mutai said that in the readings of the day it says love your neighbours as yourselves and later attain eternal life . The children were given the candle as a sign of light forever in their lives and the sign of the cross was marked on their ears and mouth inorder to hear and speak the word of God.
Saying a bout st. Elizabeth history , the chairperson of St.Elizabeth Mrs. Grace Emoru said that Elizabeth was born in the year 1207 to Andrew 11 of Hungary and his wife,Gertrude of Andechs-Meran.To obtain a favorable political alliance,Elizabeth was promised in marriage to Louis (Ludwig),the eldest of Landgrave Herman of Thuringia and Hesse(now Germany). At the age of four she as taken to taken to Thuringian Castle of the Wartburg, near Eisenach, there to be groomed as the wife of the future landgrave.
During her maidenhood, Elizabeth is said to have been perfect in body, handsome, of a dark complexion; serious in her ways, modest, kindly speech, fervent in prayer, and always full of goodness and divine love. Yet with all these attributes she did not meet with approval or affection from her new family. Instead, her humble and retiring habits annoyed Louis' sister Agnes, who often told her that she was fit only to be a servant.
Today, there is an inescapable duty to make ourselves the neighbour of every individual, without exception, and to take positive steps to help a neighbor whom we encuounter, whether that neighbor be an elderly person,abandoned by everyone,a foreign worker who suffers the injustice of being despised,a refugee, an illegitimate child wrongly suffering for a sin of which the child is innocent, or a straving human being who awakens our conscience by calling to mind the words of christ. As long as you did it for one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it for me' (Matthew 25:40) 9pastorl constitution on the church in the modern world,27, Austin Flannery translation).