Pope Francis Names New Kitale Catholic Diocese Bishop

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The Kitale Catholic Diocese has a new Bishop. This follows the appointment of Rev. Fr. Henry Juma Odonya as the new Bishop of the Diocese.

Catholic Church’s World leader Pope Francis announced the new appointment in a communication issued on November 4, 2022.

Fr. Juma’s appointment was first made public in Vatican City State’s daily Newspaper – L’Osservatore Romano.

The Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, Archbishop Bert Van Megen, also sent an official communication to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) communicating the same.

Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, Archbishop Bert Van Megen.

I have the honour and pleasure to inform you that Pope Francis has appointed the Reverend Father Henry Juma Odonya as the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kitale. The Bishop–Elect comes from the clergy of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret,” the Nuncio’s letter reads in part.

Bishop-elect Odonya’s background

The Kitale Bishop-Elect was born in 1976 to the Late George Odonya and Odonya.

He joined St. Mary’s Major Seminary in Molo in 1997 for his spiritual year.  From 1998 to 1999 he was at St. Augustine Seminary, Mabanga for his Philosophical Studies.

Later, from 2000 to 2004, he was at St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary for his Theological Studies.

Bishop-Elect Juma was ordained deacon on 11th June 2005 and priest of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret on 25th February 2006 at Sacred Heart Cathedral by the late Bishop Cornelius Korir.

Kitale Catholic Diocese Bishop-elect Henry Juma Odonya.

He obtained Licentiate in Missiology from Urbanian University in Rome in 2018.

Currently, the Bishop-elect serving as a Formator at St. Patrick Philosophy House – Durban in South Africa.

He is now expected to over from Bishop Maurice Crowley who is retiring having attained the bishop’s mandatory retirement age of 75 years.

Bishop Crowley has served as the Bishop of the Kitale Catholic Diocese since 1998.

Prior to that, the retiring Bishop served as Rector of Mother of Apostles Seminary, Eldoret, Kenya, from 1983 until 1998 and as Vicar general of Eldoret Catholic Diocese from 1992 until 1998.

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