Two women from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis who recently visited the Diocese of Kitui in Kenya, Marci Franzen, project manager in the Office of Communications at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and Julie Woodruff, a parishioner of St. Joseph in Red Wing, shared their experiences with “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley.
The archdiocese formed a partnership with Kitui in 2004 after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called for solidarity efforts with Africa in 2001.
The partnership is one of solidarity and sharing, Franzen said. “This isn’t a mission trip where we come and do a project. We really go there to share our experiences, our lives, to talk about what’s going on, to share our faith,” she said. “And it’s really been a wonderful experience. But it is really, truly a partnership,” and she felt that upon arrival.
The trip, which included 14 people from 10 parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul, was Franzen’s first to Kenya and Woodruff’s fourth.
Over her four visits, Woodruff has seen consistency in the Kenyans’ “generosity of time, friendship, hospitality, food and faith-sharing.” “They always welcome us with robust singing and dancing, and hugs and Kenyan handshakes, and their broad smiles,” she said. “Their liturgies are well attended, vibrant, (with) joyful music, dancing.”
Even “Minnesota nice” people were swaying, rocking and clapping to the music in the pews, Woodruff said.
The Kenyans model resilience, Woodruff said, seemingly finding joy “even while dealing with challenges of scarce resources, water, food insecurity, and the adverse effects of climate change.” Droughts are becoming more frequent, and water continues to be “scarce in many areas,” she said. Yet this trip she saw “more solar-powered borehole wells and toured a garden with drip irrigation. “And that was so nice to see,” she said.
Asked by Conley how Kenyans find joy in some tough circumstances, Franzen said she believes that much of it comes from religion being “the core of their lives.” “A lot of times, we get so busy here, we have so many things going, that sometimes our relationship with Christ can be not the center of thought. But with them, it truly is the center of all of their lives, of their family life, of their parish life,” she said.
“They truly believe that God’s grace is sufficient and that God walks with them every step of every day,” Woodruff said. “And they proclaim loudly that God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. And they live with hope.”
“There really is a commitment and a joy in living through the word of God, and you see that wherever you go,” Franzen said.
To hear the full interview, listen to this episode of “Practicing Catholic,” which debuts at 9 p.m. Aug. 4 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM and repeats at 1 p.m. Aug. 5 and 2 p.m. Aug. 6. And watch for Franzen’s guest commentary in the Aug. 10 issue of The Catholic Spirit.
To learn more about the archdiocese’s partnership with the Diocese of Katui, visit centerformission.org. To learn about joining or supporting the partnership, visit the website or call Janine Ricker at 651-291-4504.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes an interview with Amy Cummings, executive director of Partnership for Youth, who describes Steubenville Youth Conferences; and Franciscan Brother of Peace Paschal Listi, who describes the charism and work of his order, and reflects on Blessed Solanus Casey.
Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at anchor.fm/practicing-catholic-show.
