The video above features Catholic News Service visual media manager, Nancy Wiechec.  Wiechec shared her thoughts on the Pontifical Mission Societies' 2011 journey to Kenya with diocesan staff gathered for our annual national meeting in Seattle, WA.

February 21, 2011
Connecting with Hope

As our mission family neared the end of its Visit to Kenya, they met more of their brothers in this East African nation - and celebrated the hope offered to them by local Sisters.

At the Ukweli Home of Hope project, started by Maryknoll in 1995 and run by the Little Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, a local Religious Community, since 2005, boys who had been living on the streets find shelter, food, medical help, an education - and loving care rooted in the Lord's love for each one of us. Today, 25 boys live at Ukweli Home. Sister Catherine Wanza directs this project, reporting success stories - like the eight boys who had been residents and are now in college.

Our mission family made fast friends during this stop on the journey, according to a blog report by Barb Fraze of Catholic News Service - and had fun too. Fraze observed that while Monsignor Francis Blood of St. Louis, Missouri, and Heather Lupinacci of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, took photographs of the boys, Father John Zemelko of Gary, Indiana, stood between the two picture-takers, making rabbit ears behind their heads to make the youths smile. Deacon Ed Kelly of Scranton, Pennsylvania, talked about the Boston marathon to others - noting that Kenyans often won the race. Father Donald Lapointe of Springfield, Massachusetts, taught the boys to give high fives. And when he entered the home, Fraze said, Monsignor John Kozar, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, was greeted by howls from boys who recognized him from the Missionary Childhood Day Mass two days earlier.

The children performed a skit for our mission family, one expressing their gratefulness to the Sisters for the loving care they receive. Grateful for their open hearts, our group left gifts behind for the young boys at Ukweli Home of Hope. Michele Meiers of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, gave each a rosary made by eighth graders at St. Alphonsus School in Maple Glen, Pennsylvania, and Father Bill Holoubek of Lincoln, Nebraska, found Miraculous Medals for every boy, teaching them the prayer that goes with it. (See more images from the visit to Ukweli Home of Hope - photographs by Nancy Wiechec of Catholic News Service - in an album on our Facebook page.)

On Tuesday, February 22, our mission family leaves Kenya to return home. We wish them blessings on their journey - and look forward to hearing more from each of our diocesan mission family, as well as from Catholic News Service and Maryknoll, about this historic visit with our brothers and sisters in Kenya.

Photos: Nancy Wiechec / CNS