On 12 November 2021, in the Major Seminary of Nairobi, several beautiful liturgical books in Swahili–Misale Ya Kiroma(Roman Missal), Masomo Ya Misa (Lectionary in 3 volumes) and Misale Ya Kila Siku (Daily Missal–were presented during a solemn Eucharistic Celebration presided over by the President of the Episcopal Conference, His Eminence Martin Kivuva and all the Bishops of Kenya. Many priests, seminarians, religious and faithful participated in this significant event. The new texts are a great grace for the Catholic Church of Kenya because they will allow priests and faithful to participate more consciously, fully, actively and fruitfully in the Eucharistic Celebration.
In 2013, the Bishops’ Conference of Kenya asked the Daughters of St. Paul of Nairobi to take on the project of translating the liturgical texts of the Church into Swahili. Since the Tanzanian Bishops’ Conference was working on the same project, during the Regional Assembly of Bishops in Malawi in 2014, Sr. Teresa Marcazzan (at that time director of FSP Editions in Africa), proposed that the two Bishops’ Conferences work together to prepare the new Roman Missal using the text of Biblia ya Kiafrika, published by the FSPs. Her suggestion was accepted.
The demanding work of revision and translation of the liturgical texts, which lasted seven years, was made possible thanks to the readiness of countless people to lend their skills to this project.
In her presentation, Sr. Praxides Nafula, the director of Pauline Editions Nairobi, gave an overview of this long journey and thanked all those who collaborated with it: the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the liturgical commissions of Kenya and Tanzania, the many editors of the texts, the FSP editorial-graphics team, and Fr. Rinaldo Ronzani, a Combonian missionary. She also thanked the funding agencies and the project’s benefactors for their assistamce, including Mario Borello, director of the Graphic Arts Typography in Cuneo, Italy.
At the end of the solemn Eucharistic Celebration, H.E. Bishop Martin Kivuna addressed words of appreciation and thanks to everyone and in particular to Pauline Editions Nairobi.
The Daughters of St. Paul present for this joyful occasion said: “We truly felt like daughters of the Church! And we felt the beauty of our mission in a very powerful way. We are filled with joy and gratitude to the Lord!”
