Discovering Community and Divine Perspectives
By Ms. Maureen Obare
A pilgrimage is a journey to see yourself and your community differently, to see the bigger world with God’s eyes, and to return home with a renewed focus, having joined a new, larger world community. You will never be the same. Embarking on a pilgrimage is not just about covering physical distances; it is about viewing oneself and one’s community through a divine lens. From July 15th to 28th, 2024, pilgrims gathered with the hope of experiencing a broader world community and returning home with a renewed focus.
A group of Americans are accompanying Fr. Paul Kalenzi, SJ on a 10-day visit to Nairobi and the Proposed Hekima University (PHU) campus site in Molo, to experience the local culture and explore possible areas of future collaboration in establishing the university. Yesterday, Thursday the pilgrims visited Jesuit Hekima College, Hekima University College, and the Hekima Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations (HIPSIR). They also explored the proposed Hekima University Executive Council offices. Later in the day, they attended Mass at Loyola House, finding spiritual nourishment and community.
Today, Friday, July 19th, the pilgrims are set to visit Saint Aloysius Secondary School in the heart of Kibera. Saint Aloysius Gonzaga is a beacon of hope, providing education and a future for children in challenging circumstances. Later, the pilgrims will travel to Baraka-Molo to visit the PHU main campus site, furthering their understanding of education’s transformative power.
In the coming days, they are scheduled to visit the projects of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Kangemi, where community initiatives are uplifting and empowering the local population. The pilgrimage also includes exploring Kenya’s rich natural beauty, with visits to the Maasai Mara, Giraffe Centre, Nairobi National Park’s Safari Walk, the National Museum, and Bomas of Kenya, among other places.
For the pilgrims, this journey is transformative. Each step and each encounter broaden their horizons, deepening their understanding of the world through God’s eyes. They will return home not just as individuals, but as part of a larger, global community, forever changed by these days of reflection and discovery.
