The history of the Carmelite Nuns in Kenya goes back to the year 1956. It was a time when His Lordship Frederic Hall, Bishop of Kisumu asked the Nuns of Utrera (Spain) to start a foundation in the diocese. He made his request to the Prior General of the Carmelite Order, whose name was Killian Lynch, and he, bearing in mind the missionary spirit of that community, permitted them to start the foundation. This foundation was made up of eight Nuns, all of the Spanish origin.
In 1956, these nuns left Utrera Carmel happy for having received from the Lord this missionary call to which they responded with much love and generosity. On 1st May 1956, they arrived at Kakamega (Kenya) accompanied by Rev. Fr. Patrick Russell. Some years later, some nuns returned to Utrera due to poor health. According to the situation, the nuns who were left needed support (personnel) because they were few. On 25th May 1964, Sr. Maria de los Angeles Pardo and Maria Carmen Requena, both from Utrera left for Kenya to help. Later, due to the lack of security in Kakamega the nuns moved to another town called Tindinyo (Western Kenya).
New face after many years
Machakos
After undergoing several changes, one the nuns to found in Kenya, Sr. Maria del Carmen had the desire to have African vocations. After she left from Kenya, she did not stop thinking of it until she saw this blessing come upon her.
Carmen narrates the adventure. Through the assistance of St. Jerome Sisters in Spain, we made contact with some girls in Kenya. These Sisters from India who were in Spain knew a Carmelite missionary (Carmelites of Mary Immaculate) by the name Edward Padikalla, also from India working in Kenya. Through Fr. Edward, some girls from his parish (Mbiuni) came to know the Carmelites and a great desire rose within them to serve the Lord in the Order. The nuns in Utrera contacted kept a continuous contact with Fr. Edward to prepare them fro this mission. The then Mother Prioress of Carmel in Utrera, Maria Cristina de Artega welcomed the idea without hesitation.
After setting up everything, the first Kenyan vocations, Sr. Ann Syombua and Sr. Winfred Katunge arrived in Spain on 4th October 1984. After just twenty days, Sr. Christine Syombua followed them and was admitted in the same monastery.
These girls were accepted with the intention of founding another monastery in Kenya after their formation in Spain. They were supported and encouraged by their parish priest, Fr. Jose Kallely C.M.I, amd their bishop, his Lordship Urbanus J. Kioko. Both pastors were convinced of the value of the contemplative life and dreamt of having a convent of cloistered Carmelite nuns within the diocese.
A step ahead
Fifteen years later, this dream was realized. This was in 1999 when these young and determined girls, now real Carmelite nuns, came back to make a new foundation in there own diocese. They were officially received and welcomed home by is Lordship Bishop U.J. Kioko in his Cathedral of Machakos on the occasion of his silver Jubilee of his Episcopal ordination.
The foundation in Machakos began on the 1st October, 1999 with seven nuns from Utrera (Spain). Among them were two Spaniards, four from the diocese of Machakos (Kenya) and one from the diocese of Nairobi. They were accommodated by the diocese of Machakos since then until our monastery was finished and officially opened on 15th October 2004.
We have been blessed with many vocations since then. Today we are counting with more than eighteen members within the community.en blessed with many vocations since then. Today we are counting more than eighteen members in the community.
