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Bishop Kirima - the Clergyman Who Excelled in Many Tasks(The Nation (Kenya) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Those who knew him well describe Nicodemus Kirima as a jack of all trades and a master of many. Apart from being a man of the cloth, Archbishop Kirima, who died in Nairobi on Tuesday, after a long illness, was known to be at home with accounting, communication, agriculture and philosophy, among other professions. Many are the times when he would be at his reading table beyond midnight. It could perhaps be due to his wealth of experience in various fields that retired President Moi appointed him to chair the commission to investigate devil worship in the country on October 21, 1994. Archbishop Kirima had always been independent-minded and would stick to what he believed was right. At a tender age, he even broke ranks with his parents, deserted their African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) to join the Catholic Church where he rose through the ranks to become an archbishop. "He was a simple man who had always an alternative in a move or issue. No one really understood him," said Fr Donatus Mathenge, a priest, who has worked with him for years. He was not known to take extreme positions on issues of national or international importance. Even when he deserted AIPCA for the Catholic Church and started rising through the ranks, he never persuaded his parents and two brothers and five sisters to join him. Journalists had a hectic time trying to get his position on various issues as he always explained his position in metaphors and stories. When he was appointed to head the devil worship commission, Fr Mathenge explained, Archbishop Kirima took it as an advantage to know what was "eating" his flock and fully took charge. Priests who declined to be named said they were free to do anything and were always at home with the prelate. However, some priests and faithful, both in Catholic and other denominations criticised his leadership for, among other reasons, giving the priests a lot of freedom and failing to initiate many development projects. "Most of his critics thought that most of his visions were theoretical," a priest lamented. He said most of the faithful was happy that he was always available for them. "You could go to his office any time and he would listen to you," said Mr James Maina, a member of Our Lady of Consolata Cathedral. Apart from naming chairman of the commission on devil worship, the retired Head of State appointed him a member of the Koech Education Commission to represent the Catholic Church. The archbishop was a strong member of the Rome-based Alliance of the Two Hearts International Movement in which he and Fr Mathenge represented Africa. Archbishop Kirima was born on March 3, 1935, at Gatundu village, Iriani Location of Mathira Division in Nyeri North District. His parents were Zabedee Kariithi and Bilha Wanjira. He attended Gatundu and Gatuna primary schools near Karatina Town before proceeding to St John's Primary School, Kaloleni in Nairobi and later to St Peter Claver's Primary School, also in the city. Thereafter he joined Queen of the Apostles Seminary, Ruaraka, for his secondary education. In 1956, he joined St Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Morogoro, Tanzania, for priesthood studies, and on December 22, 1962, he was ordained priest at the Holy Family Cathedral, Nairobi. Archbishop Kirima worked in Riara Parish before he was posted to Muhoho High School in 1964 as principal. Two years later, he was appointed the rector of Queen of Apostles Seminary at Ruaraka, Nairobi. Became assistant lecturer In 1966, he joined St John Fisher College Rochester in New York, where he studied education and sociology, graduating with Bachelor's and Master's degrees. On his return to the country in 1969, he was posted to Our Lady of Visitation church in Makadara, Nairobi. Two years later, he became an assistant lecturer at St Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Lang'ata. He finally became the seminary rector in 1974. His promotion was rapid, for on February 27, 1978, he was named bishop and ordained on May 14 the same year and posted to Mombasa as the diocesan head. During his stay in Mombasa, the number of parishes increased, so did the number of priests and nuns. Health facilities and learning institutions increased and improved. It was due to his performance that his bishop colleagues picked on him as the head of the department of education at the Catholic secretariat. It was after the death of Nyeri diocese's fifth bishop, Caesar Maria Gatimu in 1987, that Nicodemus Kirima was appointed head the Mt Kenya region diocese on March 30, 1988. He was installed on May 15, the same year. He at the same time chaired the Kenya Episcopal Conference and the seven-nation Association of the Member of Episcopal Conference of Eastern Africa (AMECEA). The Pope appointed him archbishop a year later. This was the position he held until he died of kidney failure on Tuesday. Fr Mathenge, who welcomed Archbishop Kirima in Nyeri as the diocesan administrator, told the Nation that the prelate overhauled the operation of the diocese that boasts of six dioceses. "He shifted the diocese headquarters from Mathari Pastoral Centre to Nyeri Town, to ensure that the faithful had access to the church services since he felt Mathari was too far," Fr Mathenge said. He also relocated his official residence from the house adjacent to Our Lady of Consolata in Nyeri Town to a small house opposite Nyeri South district commissioner's residence, to create room for various departments. However, a few years ago, he shifted his residence to the Catholic Secretariat buildings, which are adjacent to the Cathedral after the department of Finance and that of Development, commonly known as Caritas (charity), were relocated. At the time he was posted to Nyeri, his only health complaint was high blood pressure. He maintained his pace of work until 2002 when he was diagnosed with kidney failure. He underwent a kidney transplant in Rome, Italy, after his younger brother Munyiri Kariithi donated one of his to him. After the transplant, he resumed his normal duties but developed further complications and in 2003, Bishop John Njue, until then based in Embu, was appointed as the diocesan co-adjutor. (John Njue has since been named cardinal by Pope Benedict XVl.) Archbishop Kirima became seriously ill less than one week after Njue left Nyeri to head the Nairobi archdiocese. The Nyeri archdiocese was established on September 14, 1905, as mission. It was hived off from Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Zanzibar. Four years later, on July 12, 1909, the mission was promoted to Apostolic Vicariate of Kenya and 17 years later renamed Apostolic Vicariate of Nyeri. A year after the state of emergency was declared by the colonialists, the vicariate was promoted to a diocese. On May 21, 1990 the diocese became an archdiocese and renamed Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nyeri. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media. (allafrica.com) Copyright 2007 The Nation (Kenya), Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media , Source: The Financial Times Limited |