A permanent Church Building

The Background

The idea of putting up a permanent church building at Christ the King Catholic Church-Kibera came about in the 1992 at the inception of the parish when the first Guadalupe Missionary Priest Fr. Arturo Arreguin came live in the Kibera slum. Due to the fact that Christ the King Catholic Church-Kibera was I the process of achieving the status of a parish, and being the only Catholic parish which operated exclusively within an informal settlement, the parishioners were optimistic about achieving their dream.

Why a Permanent Building in an Informal Settlement?

Kibera slum, which is located in the heart of the City of Nairobi, is home to hundreds of thousands of Kenyans representing various tribes, who live on less an one dollar a day. Most slum residents migrate from the rural areas to settle in the many slums located in Nairobi in hopes of finding greener pastures. Their hope is to eventually move out of the slums and relocate to other parts of the city once their income increases enabling them to do so. Therefore, they are never permanent residents, but live a transitory life. Such slum residents, therefore, usually would not be interested in contributing towards a construction that is permanent.

However, to the contrary, the parishioners of Christ the King Catholic Church-Kibera have a different perception and commitment to their faith. Their determination to see a permanent church building rising up among their shanties would be a symbol of their faith, dignity, unity and a sign of the risen Lord among them. Also, worshiping in a permanent church is a sign that even though they might live in abject poverty they command the same dignity and self-esteem as any human being who lives under better circumstances. Because of the parishioners’ determination and willingness to work to accomplish their dream, the Guadalupe Missionary Father’s in Kenya are seriously supporting this dream of the Kibera residents.

A Dream Comes True

During the Parish Celebration of Christ the King Feast Day in November, 2006, the realization of the dream of starting the construction of the permanent church building began once the demolition of the old church was completed. On this occasion the foundation stone was blessed by former Archbishop of Nairobi, Archbishop Emeritus Raphael Ndingi Mwana a’ Nzeki and it was laid by the Mexican Ambassador to Kenya, His Excellency Mr. Juan Carlos Cue’ Vega.

Visible for All to See

As the saying goes: “Where there is a will, there is a way”. The vision and determination of Christ the King parishioners continues to nurture their dream. A beautiful, magnificent church has begun to take shape and at this time is distinct rising high above the Kibera slum horizon; it’s cross quite visible from kilometers away. It’s bright green metal roof stands conspicuously among the rusty roofed shanties of the slum; a true symbol of dignity for the poor. Upon completion, the church will house a main sanctuary with a capacity for 800 people, a small chapel with a capacity for 30 people and a sacristy. Above the entrance there will be a small gallery with a capacity for 250 people to be used during mass, while on a partial balcony area there will be living space for priests, which includes a small reception area. As the year 2009 begins, the construction of the church is in its progress, which includes the roofing, underground water tanks, walls, partial windows and part of the balcony area. The construction work so far has been achieved through the generous contributions of well-wishers and friends of the parish, along with successful fund-raising efforts on the part of the parishioners from the Kibera community.

Determined as Ever

In order to complete the church construction to realize this dream, a special effort is required due to the economic hardships being experienced by so many, and especially in Kenya. However, in spite of hardships, the parishioners are determined as ever to succeed in realizing their goal. A special fund-raising activity was organized on 5^th October, 2008, in which the parish managed to raise 1.2 million Kenyan shillings. This money has enabled the construction to progress to another level of completion. Over 20 million Kenyan shillings is still required in order to finish the church construction for a dream realized!

We are inviting all interested persons who would like to support us through prayers and contributions to please do so knowing how much we appreciate your contributions and may God Bless you.