Principal

Immersion 

Last year I had the opportunity to join the EREA immersion called “Journeying with Edmund: From Kenya to Ireland”. This was an opportunity to walk the pilgrim’s path around Ireland and encounter the people of Kenya, their culture and spirituality and extreme poverty where Edmund's charism has found life in a vast variety of forms.

During our journey we explored the ways in which Edmund’s charism and the Gospel call have led us to build a world where all may live well; a world that moves substantively forward through a liberating education and faith in Jesus Christ.

I had never been to Africa and getting off the plane at Nairobi airport I knew I was in for an experience I would not forget. While there, we had many different experiences and for this article I would just like to mention some of the highlights. 

Morning one of our pilgrimage started with a challenging, hands-on and inspirational visit to the Mary Rice Centre where its mission statement is, “Our Caring Hearts Build Hope.” At the edge of Kibera Slum, home to approximately 1.2 million people, the Mary Rice Centre is a lifeline of hope for 71 students with disabilities where they are educated each day in a variety of ways. An important aspect of the centre is the vocational training it provides for parents and students. We spent time at the centre hearing about how the centre runs and is funded, joined in classes with the teachers and students, and served meals and played games. We left the centre and visited the Kibera slum, talking to a family living there. View Mary Rice Centre website: https://maryricekenya.com/

The Ruben Centre is situated in Mukuru slum and is a multi-service centre running 31 concurrent projects including a maternity clinic (over 1200 babies were delivered in the last 12 months), bands, an acrobatics program, employment agency, market gardens, vocational training, a primary school and more. The centre is run by the innovative Br Frank O’Shea. Over 2700 students go to the primary school, where the class sizes are one teacher for every 100 students. The only play area is pictured below for all these children. The kitchen facilities cook for all workers, volunteers and students on a daily basis; this is sometimes the only meal that the students will have throughout the day. View Ruben Centre website: https://www.rubencentre.org/. The St Patrick’s College community has helped fundraise for the Ruben centre in past Lenten fundraisers. 

In Swahili, the Kenyan people have the word “Ubuntu” which essentially means "I am because we are” or "humanity towards others”.  In other words, we cannot be fully human when alone or as one person explained it to me, my joy is linked to your joy. Ubuntu was evident in so many moments on the immersion and in our own community here at St Patrick’s. 

Damian Chase

Acting Principal