‘This awful tragedy may not make the headlines in Ireland, but, nevertheless, we have a duty to show solidarity with the people of Mwingi on their tragic loss – and with so many others who suffer across the developing world and whose plight is erased from public view by competing news.’ – Bishop Larry Duffy.
The Bishop of Clogher, Bishop Larry Duffy, has asked for prayers for the people of Mwingi in Kitui, Kenya, following the death of 32 people of that town this past weekend when a bus in which they were travelling to a wedding was swept away by a swollen river. At least 11 of those who died were from the same family.
Bishop Duffy ministered as a priest in Mwingi for several years, as part of the Diocese of Clogher mission to Kitui – a link that continues to exist.
‘I am greatly shocked by this awful news. I have many happy memories of my time there and I am close to them once again through my prayer. I ask people here in the Diocese of Clogher and throughout Ireland to pray for the repose of those who died and for those who have lost loved ones’, he said.
‘This awful tragedy may not make the headlines in Ireland, but, nevertheless, we have a duty to show solidarity with the people of Mwingi on their tragic loss – and with so many others who suffer across the developing world and whose plight is erased from public view by competing news.
‘We in Ireland have a good tradition of missionary outreach, coupled with charitable support and development aid. It is in times like these that we must show that same outreach through prayers and practical support’, he concluded.
The Diocese of Kitui is located in the Province of Nairobi. It territory covers an area of approximately 30,496.4 sq. Kms in Eastern Kenya, with a population of around 1,012,709 people. The Diocese has a population of 226,414 baptized Catholics as per the 2021 Diocesan statistics. Since 1985, the Diocese of Clogher has had links with the Diocese of Kitui; several priests, religious and laypeople served there. Today, the link is maintained through prayer, outreach and practical support. For further information on Kitui – About Us – Catholic Diocese of Kitui
