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First-ever blind Catholic priest in Kenya is ordained

The ordination of the first-ever blind Catholic priest in Kenya will help show people that “disability is not inability,” the archbishop of Nyeri has said.

In a message shared with ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, Archbishop Anthony Muheria of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nyeri reflected on the Jan. 14 ordination to the priesthood of Father Michael Mithamo King’ori, who lost his sight while serving as a deacon.

“This new priest, Father Michael, will help us to appreciate, in a very new way, the capacity, the ‘enabledness,’ of people who may have a deficiency of ability because of [their] situations,” Muheria said in the Jan. 15 message a day after presiding over the priestly ordination of the Kenyan priest.

The archbishop added that the priestly ordination of Mithamo King’ori “is a reason for great joy because in spite of his limitation, in spite of the hurdles he has had to go through, he has come out to give evidence and testimony that disability is not a hindrance to answer[ing] God’s call, that disability is not inability.”

The Kenyan Catholic archbishop said the priestly ordination of the first-ever blind Catholic priest in Kenya “is a great wake-up call” for everybody to give opportunities to people living with disabilities.

“Many people who may not have the abilities, the normal abilities that we value, are very gifted in so many other ways that make them still very effective in the ministry, in evangelization, and in fulfilling the call that they have received. Of course, it is ours to ensure that they are well prepared,” he said.

Father Mithamo King’ori was ordained to the priesthood alongside five other deacons during Mass at St. John Bosco Kiamuiru Primary School grounds in which the archbishop emeritus of Nyeri, Peter Kairu, members of the clergy ministering in the archdiocese, women and men religious, and laity participated.

In his Jan. 15 audio message, Archbishop Muheria said the historic priestly ordination in the East African nation “is a moment to also embrace that disabilities are gifts that God gives so that those people can develop new other gifts and enrich our society.”

Read more at Catholic News Agency 

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