“Kwitya Mwana” is a Kamba word literary meaning “Request to be given the Bride”. It has been a long practiced Kamba tradition during the traditional marriage ceremony, whereby the family of the bridegroom would visit the family of the bride on the eve of marriage day to ceremoniously ask for the blessing of the parents (family) of the bride, and thus ‘release’ her to be married off. This practice is still popular.   Due to the fact that Priesthood (or religious life) is culturally viewed by Kamba people as a “marriage of the person being ordained (the bride) to the church (Bride groom)”, the church has incorporated, and has been practicing this cultural event during ordinations of priests, or sisters/ brothers who about to profess their vows, whereby several parishes visit the family of the to-be-ordained (or to-take-the-vows) a week or two prior to the ordination in order to ask for the parents’ (family’s) blessing.   It is normally a ceremony filled with a lot of joy, singing, eating, and showering the parents of the to-be-ordained with gifts.   The day normally starts with celebrating the Holy Mass at the family compound of the parents of the to-be- Ordained, with him/her signing several documents through which he accepts to be ordained on his/her will, and to remain obedient to the Bishop and entire church. This is followed by speeches from the church, and the family.   Then the ceremony for “Kwitya Mwana” starts. It has been led by the Catholic Women Association in our Diocese, although the process includes participation of men and Youth.   The members from the church (bridegroom) who include faithful (lay) selected from particular parishes will sit in line, facing the seated line of the family members, with a chosen mediator facilitating the talking. This takes place in open place, where everybody else can see and hear what is going. (This is slightly different from the way it is done in Kamba Traditional marriage, where the ceremony is held in private, with speakers chosen from the bridegroom’s side meeting the speakers chosen fro the bride’s side).   The debate becomes animated as groom’s (Church’s) speakers engage the bride’s (Family’s) speakers in a forth-and-back mockery process of asking for the to-be-ordained to be released by the family in order to become a priest, “married to the church”.   At some stage, the family obliges, and whole compound turns wild with ululations, singing, dancing, and carrying the to-be-ordained in air by the “church speakers and their supporters”, signifying that that the church has successfully requested for the hand consent of the family to have him/her to be ordained to priesthood or to take her/his vows to religious order.   The family is then showered with presents; including foodstuff, livestock, clothing, and electronics, among others. All this is done with a lot of singing and dancing and joy. People will then share the prepared food before dispersing, ready for the main ordination/ Profession Mass.   (Back to Vocations)