An Introduction to Holy Cross

by Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson

St. Monica shares a special relationship with its sister parish, Holy Cross and is the primary reason we travel to Africa each year. To reach the parish, we must traverse the roads of Dandora, where its residents live and work amidst a 35-acre dumpsite for the entire city of Nairobi. One of the twelve travelers with me described it as “apocalyptic.” Yet, Holy Cross Parish emerges as an oasis and beacon of hope for these men, women, and children who are no different than you and me except in circumstance. Any of us could easily be the one amongst dogs and goats scavenging for our next meal in the rubbish.

Surrounded by bleakness, Holy Cross serves the community in so many ways. About 6000 faithful attend Mass each Sunday and are led by their newly installed Parish Priest (Pastor) Fr. Alex Okidi, csc. It’s campus also houses St. James school for which we provide scholarships. As we drove through the gates, we were greeted by dozens of their preschool children singing, “Welcome, welcome our visitors,” and gifting each of us with a pair of roses, symbolizing our two parishes standing together across 9600 miles. Their seventh grade continued to welcome our group with an inspiring celebration of Mass—every single youngster participating fully in singing, dancing, drumming, clapping and proclaiming the word. Although we have come to serve, their parish council leader, Phillip Nonbi reminds us that our journey and mere presence this great distance is the ultimate expression of our love. We can’t wait to do more throughout the rest of the week!

Holy Cross is the site of a borehole (well) which provides clean and pure water to not only the parish but the entire community. This is one of the earliest projects St. Monica helps to put in action. We visited the tailoring education center where young women and men learn vocational skills to sustain a living.

Our day at Holy Cross concluded with a visit to Visitation Maternal-Child Health Center, and Brother André Bessette Medical clinic. In the last few months, they have received a beautiful new ambulance, operating room with an autoclave, surgical lights and other desperately needed medical equipment as well as a diesel-powered generator to provide the proper electrical load bridging the unreliable municipal grid. This is but an introduction to the intense work and service we’ll be offering to the many ministries at Holy Cross. In turn, we receive so much more in the unconditional love and faith our brothers and sisters in Dandora offer us. Thank you for your continued prayers.

 
Location: Holy Cross Dandora

Comments

  1. SantaMonica PeteJune 8, 2017 at 11:10 PM

    The good people of Dandora seem bookended by the apocalypse of despair (the garbage dump) and the paragon of hope (St Andre Medical clinic). That they might see less of the former and more of the latter through further generous resources and with continued visits from the people of St Monica who bring kindling for the fire of a brighter future,

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