Everyone was extremely touched by the Homily (attached to this article) delivered by the Apostolic Nuncio who eloquently gave a brief description of the beginnings of the Order, highlighting its objectives and stressing that the sick, the poor and the abandoned are not alone and that the Order, whenever it can, accompanies them in their struggle.
The Order’s Ambassador warmly thanked all who contributed in making the celebration of Holy Mass a memorable occasion.
In attendance were also Ambassadors and High Commissioners together with reverend sisters and other invited guests who, after Mass, assisted with the distribution of food hampers, including blankets donated by the IAG Group (British Airways), to the children. The hampers being heavy and the children small, many guests gave the children a hand with carrying their gifts to the bus that was to take them back to school.
In the evening, the Ambassador and his spouse hosted a reception at the Muthaiga Country Club to which were traditionally invited Heads of Diplomatic Missions, International Organizations and NGOs along with friends and supporters of the Order. The Government of Kenya’s Guest of Honour was H.E. Ambassador Tom Amolo, Political and Diplomatic Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who, despite his very busy work and travel schedule, also this year left no stone unturned to attend the event like a true friend of the Order.
The main focus of the Order’s Ambassador’s speech at the reception was the issue of refugees, pointing out how many people from all over the world and throughout history had to flee their homes for various terrible reasons, including the Order of Malta from Jerusalem to Rome, passing through Rhodes, Malta and St. Petersburg. Refugees are at the centre of the Order’s recent commitment to contribute, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany and Malteser International, in the building of a maternity clinic in the refugee camp of Kakuma in northern Kenya with a view to easing the plight of mothers and children within that community.
