Encountering the beauty of Catholicism in Kenya

This past June, three of our diocesan seminarians, Greg Hilzendeger, Anthony Dukart and John Gardner, had a phenomenal encounter with Christ, whose presence is radiantly alive in the heart of the African Mission in Kenya.
 
“It was a very tremendous experience, filled with plenty of grace-filled moments,” Greg said. “It was amazing to witness a different culture that is totally foreign to what we are used to. For me personally, I learned a lot from having to rely totally on God and trust in Him. It was wonderful to go out into His mission field and serve the people of God by simply giving them what He has given to me.”
           
During their stay, the seminarians mainly shadowed some of the Kenyan priests and seminarians as they visited local schools and parishioners in their homes. On their visits, they prayed with the people and helped them see what the parish can do for them and how the church community could be there for them. They gained pastoral experience as they served Masses and witnessed the priests confer the sacrament of anointing of the sick.
           
They also saw the beauty of Christ's love in a refreshing way when they interacted with the orphans at the diocese’s mission. 
           
“We had a lot of meaningful experiences and joyful times on our trip, especially with the orphan children,” Greg said. “They were so happy and excited to see us. They would run up to us when we came. Most of the children there had very few of the basic necessities of life, but they were still so happy and appreciated the simplest things.”
           
Time and time again, the seminarians were touched by the goodness inherent in the people of Kenya. They will always remember the love that the Kenyans cherished for God and others.
           
“The Kenyans touched my heart by the way they received me as a person,” Anthony said. “They showed me love without me earning it. In America, it is not like this—we live in a place where to be loved means that when you do something for someone else, you expect something in return. In Kenya, I didn’t do very much but be present to them, and they still received me as one of their own and loved me as Christ would. Thus, my visit to Kenya allowed me to see the world in a more full way, a more Catholic way.”
           
In a sense, it enriched the spiritual lives of each seminarian in a unique way, and prepared their souls for the mission God has in store for them.
           
“It was a very pastoral experience, and it stretched me a little bit,” Paul shared. “It was a humbling experience in the sense that people expected us to represent the Church and be models of Christ because we are seminarians. There was a lot of 'hype' about us. Kenyans have so much love for priests and seminarians. It was rewarding to bring Christ's presence to people who were so hungry for the truth.”
           
The seminarian’s trip was based on the foundation of child-like trust in God's mysterious ways.    
 
“A question that all of us seminarians asked each other on the trip, at pretty much any given moment, was 'What is happening?'” Anthony commented. “Most of the time we didn’t know exactly where we were going nor what was going to happen next. This allowed for a greater trust not only in the people who lead us, but also a greater trust in God and His divine providence.”
           
By witnessing the extraordinary graces of God that the priests of Kenya offered the world around them, a fire of enthusiasm for the sacred priesthood was kindled in their hearts.
           
“I believe my experience in Kenya may impact my future vocation,” Greg said. “Serving with the people in Africa and being immersed in their culture sparked my love for the priesthood and gave me a strong love for them. I just can't wait to be a priest, so I can serve them. I was touched by how very real the sacraments were to them, and how much they desired them and appreciated them.”
           
Further, the example of their authenticity shown through and inspired our seminarians in unexpected ways.
           
“I learned a lot by watching the local seminarians reach out to others by asking them hard, profound questions which challenged them to grow in their faith,” Paul saids. “They were very courageous, and made a successful impact on others. One of the Kenyan priests we shadowed was so joyful when he brought the sacraments to people. He gave me something to aspire to!”
           
Consequently, what they witnessed in Kenya brought home the reality that there is always something to learn from those we serve. As St. Teresa of Calcutta once said, “The poor are great people. They accept very difficult things.”
           
“I believe it is important to one's spiritual formation to see other cultures, and how they work,” Anthony said. “A vocation is a calling from God. It is wonderful to know that God can present His love through a different culture, with a different people, and that I can receive that love from them in humility and charity. This has been so helpful for me to reflect on. That being said, the thing we could give them, however, was to show that we, although we were from the other side of the world, also believe in Catholicism as they do.”
           
Open to the workings of the Holy Spirit, the seminarians experienced grace in meaningful ways—many of them, to their surprise.
           
“One Sunday, we got up at 4 a.m. and traveled with the local parish priest to serve all the Masses that day,” Anthony said. “There ended up being five Masses said by the priest we were with. Being present at all of those Masses that Sunday was difficult, but it was also rewarding, because we got to see the beautiful faith that the people had. Sometimes the people would wait at the church for several hours until the priest came of offer Mass. To see that kind of faith made the long day worth it!”
 
After their mission assignment to Africa and a short summer break, all three seminarians returned to their priestly formation for the diocese at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis.