Excitement as box containing casket with Sister Stefani's relics is opened

The sarcophagus carrying the remains of Sister Irine Stefani at the Mathari main chapel where it was removed for inspection for beatification Thursday. [PHOTO: TABITHA OTWORI/STANDARD]

NYERI: A box containing the remains of the late Italian nun, Sister Irene Stefani Nyaatha, was finally opened to the public yesterday evening.

The opening ceremony was held inside Mathari Central Chapel, where hundreds of faithful attended to witness the event, with the hope the casket bearing the relics would be opened.

The ceremony was preceded by a mass presided by Nyeri Catholic Archbishop Peter Kairo.

The postulators of the Cause of Beatification of Sister Nyaatha in Kenya and Rome, Father Peter Githinji and Gottardo Pasqualetti, kicked off the ceremony by removing seals on the marble sarcophagus (the box).

Security officers and workers from the Archdiocese of Nyeri Industrial department at Mathari Pastoral Centre helped remove a concrete slab that served as the door.

Cheers rocked the chapel after the slab was removed and faithful could see the wooden, brown casket. The casket containing the remains of the nun was, however, not opened.

Despite Father Peter Kinyua and Father Martin Mwangi’s pleas to the Christians to continue praying as the clergy and witnesses continued with the process of certifying the casket was intact, they all flocked the sanctuary where the sarcophagus was.

“We are asking you to continue praying and singing as we continue with the next step,” said Mwangi.

WITNESSES INSPECT

But all the faithful flocked near the exit of the church, where the sarcophagus stands by the wall, with their smart phones and tablets ready to record the historic moment.

Kairo led the six witnesses picked to certify that the relics were intact, so as to give a go ahead to Sister Nyaatha’s beatification. The ceremony will take place on Saturday at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology grounds.

The other witnesses were Nyeri-based lawyer Duncan Waweru Macharia, fathers Peter Githinji and JB Wanarua, Representative of Consolata Sisters’ Superior General Sister Serafina Sergi and Postulator of the Cause of Beatification in Rome, Gottardo Pasqualetti.

After the casket was removed and placed on top of a table that stood in front of the witnesses, each of the six witnesses was called to inspect the casket.

Father David Mutahi, also the Archdiocese of Nyeri’s legal adviser, assisted the witnesses in signing the ‘Deed of affirmation of removal of the box containing mortal remains of Blessed Sister Irene Nyaatha’.

After the witnesses affirmed that the seals on the casket were intact, the security personnel returned it into the sarcophagus, but did not lock it with the concrete slab to ensure the public can continue viewing it.