We Have Our Bishop!
Installation is at Kitui School
The Long wait is over! It is now official that His Lordship Rt. Rev. Bishop Anthony Muheria is the new Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kitui.
And the installation has been scheduled to be held on August 9th, 2008 at Kitui High School Grounds, as from 10.00am.
After exactly three years and two days of waiting and praying, the new shepherd for Kitui Diocese was formally announced by His excellence most Rev. Archbishop Alain Paul Lebeaupin during a clergy meeting held at the Kitui Pastoral Centre, on Saturday June 28th, 2008.
“This is to announce to you that, the Holy Father has appointed Rt. Rev Bishop Anthony Muheria as the new Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kitui,” His excellence informed the clergy meeting.
Until his appointment, Bishop Muheria was the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Embu.
Kitui has been without its Bishop since June 25th 2005, when the then Bishop (now Archbishop), His Grace most Rev. Boniface Lele was appointed the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Mombasa, where he succeeded the then Archbishop (now Emeritus) John Njenga.
Immediately after the appointment of Archbishop Lele, Rev. Fr. Paul Healy was elected as the Diocesan Administrator, till June 2007, when His Lordship Rt. Rev. Bishop Martin Kivuva Musonde was appointed the Apostolic Administrator, A position that is being succeeded by our new Bishop, Rt. Rev Anthony Muheria.
The transfer of 45 year old Bishop Muheria as Bishop of Kitui means that Embu diocese remains without a Bishop. For the time being, Our Bishop Muheria will continue in the diocese as its Apostolic Administrator.
This Appointment also means that Kitui is out of the list of dioceses in Kenya without Bishops, being administered by Apostolic Administrators, swerving places with the Diocese of Embu. Other Dioceses are Nakuru and Murang’a.
(We will keep you updated with this story in the coming weeks)
Bishop Muheria is the third Bishop, after three years of waiting...
The first Bishop was His Lordship the Late Rt. Rev. Bishop William Dunne, who was succeeded by Rt. Rev. Boniface Lele in 1996.
Following his appointment as the Archbishop of Mombasa Archdiocese in 2005, Rev. Fr. Paul Healy became the Diocesan Administrator, who was replaced by His Lordship Rt. Rev. Bishop Martin Kivuva as the Apostolic Administrator.
On June 28th, 2008, His Lordship Rt.Rev Bishop Anthony Muheria was Appointed as the third Bishop of the diocese. This appointment came exactly three years and two days, since the second Bishop, (Now Archbishop) Most Rev. Boniface Lele was transfered to Mombasa (on June 25th, 2005)
Currently; there are:
- -Local priests: 64
- - Missionaries: 5
- - Congregations of Religious Male and Female, with Daughters of Jesus the Good Shepherd, being Diocesan:12
- Deacons: 5
- - Seminarians: 31, at various stages of formation.
- -Catechists:267
- -Baptized Catholics : over 260,000
- - Parishes: 24
BISHOP ANTHONY MUHERIA'S PROFILE
Bishop Muheria was born in Murang'a on May 27 1963. He attended various primary schools in Murang'a, Kirinyaga and Kiambu.He attended Mang'u high school for his secondary education where he sat the "O" level exam in 1978.
He was then admitted to Strathmore College for his "A" level for the next two years.Having excelled in his Form six exams, he joined the University of Nairobi to study Civil Engineering.
He graduated with an honours degree in Civil Engineering in 1984 and was immediately employed as a graduate Engineer by Gathaiya Njagi and partners, a firm of Consulting Engineers. He worked for four years in design and supervision of structural works until 1989.
In 1989, he joined the "International seminary of the Holy Cross" while attending his Theological studies in the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. He was ordained priest on June 13 1993 at the Basilica of the Saint Eugene in Rome. After his ordination, he worked in formation within the Seminary of the Holy Cross for two years.
Bishop Muheria completed his Doctoral studies in Sacramental Theology in June 1995, and returned to Kenya where he was mainly involved in the pastoral work within the Prelature of Opus Dei, in which he is incardinated.
In these years, he has carried out a wide apostolate of spiritual direction and formation to various groups of people, including preaching many retreats to laymen and diocesan Priests.
He was appointed the Bishop of Embu on 30 Oct 2003, and consecrated on 10 January 2004, by Archbishop Giovanni Tonucci as the principal consecrator.
On June 28th, 2008, he was appointed as the third Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Kitui.
THE VICAR-GENERAL
The office of the Vicar-General is appointed by the Bishop. Currently, the Diocesan Vicar-General is Very Rev. Fr. Robert Mutui. He was born in Museve in Boma Parish on 1st November 1962. He studied in Museve primary school, Kitui from 1971 – 1977. He later joined St. Joseph Minor Seminary from 1978 – 1981. He joined St. Augustine’s Major seminary in 1982 and later joined St. Thomas Aquinas in 1985.
He was ordained to the priesthood at Kitui on 21st of January 1989. He was posted to Migwani parish as assistant priest and in 1991 appointed in the same position in Mutomo parish. In 1992 he was appointed as parish priest of Kyuso a job he did until 1993 when he was appointed as Diocesan Vocations Director. He has attended various courses including Religious studies, Diploma in Humanities and Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Theology. He was appointed as Lecturer in St. Thomas Aquinas a post he held until 2006. In 2007 he was appointed as the Vicar General and at the same time as the Pastoral coordinator posts he still holds up to the present time.
Other diocesan institutions and offices include the Diocesan Secretariat/Chancery with:
The Diocesan Administrative structure...(Click here to view)...
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