End of era as Archbishop Zacchaeus Okoth retires after 5 decades

Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of council of Justice and Peace in Rome (right) talks to Archbishop Zachaeus Okoth during the opening of a forum on devolution by interfaith-based organistaions in 2014. [File Standard]

The Catholic fraternity in western Kenya is preparing to mark the end of an era as the expansive Kisumu Archdiocese gets a new archbishop after 40 years.

Next Saturday, outgoing Homa Bay Bishop Philip Arnold Subira Anyolo will be installed as the new archbishop of Kisumu, replacing Archbishop Zacchaeus Okoth, 76, who is retiring after five decades on the altar.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto, ODM leader Raila Odinga and several governors have been invited to the ceremony.

But what is more interesting is the massive preparation and elaborate activities lined up to mark the change of guard at the archdiocese.

Pope Francis appointed Bishop Anyolo on November 15 through a communiqué released from the Vatican.

Two months

Speaking at St Theresa’s Cathedral Catholic Church in Kibuye on Sunday, the Archdiocese Vicar General Moses Omollo explained that the church put a time frame of two months to prepare for the installation of a new archbishop.

Fr Omollo said since the appointment was on November 15, installation could not go beyond January 15.

“We had requested the Holy See to give us more time to prepare for the occasion to take place in February but it was decided that it must be done on Saturday 12,” said Omollo.

He said as a result, Anyolo would be installed this Saturday. He is expected to starts with Holy Mass at Uzima University grounds in Kisumu.

Thousands of faithful are expected to trek several kilometers from Homa Bay as they accompany Anyolo’s convoy towards Nyakwere at the border with Kisumu, where they will hand him over to the clergy and faithful from the archdiocese headquarters.

On Friday 11, Anyolo will conduct Mass with other clergy at Homa Bay Cathedral at 12:30pm and then be driven towards Nyakwere, on the Homa Bay-Kisumu border. 

Peter Barrack, the chairman of the archdiocese of Kisumu Lay Pastoral Council, said all the 58 parishes were involved in the preparations for the installation.

He said different committees had been formed to ensure the function was a success.

“All the committees are keen on the arrangements... we are upbeat to ensure that the event is successful,” said Barrack.

He said they would meet the archbishop-elect at Nyakwere.

On his way to Kisumu, he will be waving at faithful at Bolo, Kogola, Nyabondo, Katito, Ahero and Withur parishes.

“At these points, we anticipate that the archbishop-elect will have an opportunity to wave at Christians as he makes his way to the cathedral,” Barrack said.

The ceremony will be graced by all bishops in Kenya and the Pope’s representative (Nuncio).

Archbishop Okoth has served the church for more than 50 years as bishop and archbishop.

The Catholic doctrine states that when an archbishop attains the age of 75, he is expected to remind the Holy See, and the process of finding a replacement begins.

Anyolo, 62, has served for 35 years, having been ordained as a priest in 1983 at the age of 27.

The soft spoken Homa Bay Diocese Bishop has been the long serving chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops.

He was born on May 18, 1956 in Tongaren, Bungoma.  In December 1995, Pope John Paul II identified his leadership skills and appointed him bishop of Kericho.

He was later in February 2002 appointed Apostolic Administrator of Homa Bay and promoted to being a bishop in 2003.