From church to home to community

Today was an especially busy day for us with many different active events--when the groups at events get big, you can count on plenty of singing and dancing.

In the afternoon, we split into several groups of twos and threes to visit parishioners from throughout the community as guests in their homes. Barbara and I were hosted by Grace in the neighborhood known as Phase 1--the first portion of Dandora to be developed in the late 1970s. Along with fellow Phase 1 residents Ann (who visited St Monica in 2007), Florence, and Francis, we learned about the backbone of the Holy Cross parish: the small Christian communities. With about 10-20 families in each community, they each meet regularly in one another's homes to pray with one another and to discuss, celebrate, mourn, counsel, and assist one another through a focus on both scripture and the daily up and down of life.

Christopher, Grace our host, Florence, Barbara,
Francis, and Ann with some neighborhood
kids who wouldn't miss a chance for a photo

For a community like Dandora--not unlike southern California--where so many have come from somewhere else, these small Christian communities quickly become a family away from family and provide the kind of support that a large extended family might normally provide.

Barbara and I also shared some of our experiences with St Monica and the communities in which we live and work. Grace was such a kind and considerate host and the time together passed too quickly.

Later, we experienced the power of another of the 58 small Christian communities by joining them for their in-neighborhood evening Mass. With Fr Andrew presiding and Monsignor and Frs Luke and Bob concelebrating, the full group with their families invited us in to join them for one of their rare chances to have a priest come to their specific location and celebrate just with them. Despite the priests participating in these Masses multiple times a week, with 58 groups, each group only has such an event a couple of times a year. We met under a couple of tents set-up in a courtyard lent by a member of the community. Following the Mass celebrated in a mix of Swahili and English and featuring full choir singing, personal testimonies from several parishioners and full choir singing, an amazing dinner was served to all.

The day was exhausting, but unforgettable.

- Christopher Bell