Archbishop Anthony Muheria kept a sense of humor while visiting the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, when the weather dipped 104 degrees colder than in his homeland of Kenya.
“I went from the frying pan into the freezer,” he said.
Even while making light of the double-digits-below-zero temperature during his visit to the archdiocese’s Catholic Center Jan. 30, he expressed gratitude to local Church leaders as he traveled back to Kenya from World Youth Day in Panama, which he attended with 15 other pilgrims. He is apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Kitui, which has a partnership with the archdiocese. He also serves as archbishop of Nyeri.
While in Minnesota Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, Archbishop Muheria visited with Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens. Archbishop Muheria also visited with archdiocesan staff and laity involved in the partnership.
The archdiocese and the Diocese of Kitui began a partnership in 2004 in response to the U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter “A Call to Solidarity with Africa.” It involves a delegation from Kitui and the archdiocese visiting each other’s local Church every three years and learning from one another.
Archbishop Muheria said the partnership is “crystalizing” as people from Kitui and the archdiocese learn how they can mutually support each other.
