At 10am on Tuesday of Holy Week the 26th of March, fellow formator, Â Francis Makuba and myself joined the clergy and people of Ngong Diocese for the Chrism Mass celebrated by the Bishop of Ngong, Â John Oballa Owaa at the Cathedral in Ngong Town.
As we clergy walked to the sanctuary,  I thought to myself how proud Bishop Colin Davies MHM, the first bishop of the diocese would be to see this solemn celebration taking place in such a large but simple setting and the large number of priests gathered for this holy occasion. Over one hundred and twenty priests from the seven Deaneries of the diocese attended the Mass. Eighty of these are local diocesan priests, the rest are belonging to missionary and religious communities working in the diocese; two of these missionaries are Mill Hill, Frs. David  Masiga and William Epiti. This large number of clergy is a far cry from the stories Bishop Colin shared with me and others about the beginnings of the Diocese of Ngong, when he had only three or four Mill Hill priests and two local priests, ministering to the scattered tribal population in this vast diocese.
During the celebration of the Mass, we priests renewed our promises to faithfully serve, God’s people, to worthily celebrate, the Sacraments and other Liturgical Rites. In his Homily, the Bishop reminded us of our sacred duty to serve and pray for the People of God, in a spirit of humility, love and service. He also drew our attention to the responsibility of teaching and encouraging the faithful to pray. He went on to remind us, that in our common Baptism, we all share in the one priesthood of Christ. The Bishop then addressed the gathered faithful asking them to pray daily for their priests and their bishop, so that they may faithfully exercise the sacred ministry entrusted to them.
At a particular time during the Eucharistic Prayer, the Holy Oils of Anointing of the Sick and Catechumen were blessed; the Oil of Chrism was consecrated later. As the Bishop blessed and breathed over the Oil of Chrism, I thought of the recent coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London during which, the King was anointed with the Oil of Chrism; a sign of the gift of the Holy Spirit in the Monarch’s role to govern his or her subjects. This, an age old custom that has roots in the Old Testament was included in the Coronation Mass composed by St Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury in the Tenth Century. It is interesting that the English Protestant Reformers retained this Rite of Anointing of Chrism along with the Holy Communion Rite when they reformed the ancient Catholic Coronation Mass.
The Chrism Mass with its Blessing and Consecration of the Holy Oils and the renewal of the priests commitment to serve the People of God, emphasise, that all members of Christ’s mystical body are called to work together and support one another in witnessing to the mission of Jesus Christ. Bishop John Oballa Owaa reminded us all, we are, ‘a Priestly People, a Holy People, at the service of the Kingdom of God.’
A very Happy and Blessed Easter, to you all!
Liam Durrant MHM
