Pope Leo XIV has appointed Rev. Fr. Joseph Oduor, OSA, as the Coadjutor Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kisii, making him the first Augustinian priest to be appointed a bishop in Kenya.
The appointment, announced by the Holy See Press Office on Friday, November 13, marks a historic milestone for the Augustinian Order in the country. Oduor is also the fifth Augustinian priest appointed bishop in Africa.
Before his appointment, the 49-year-old served as the Parish Priest of St Monica Nyamasaria Parish in the Catholic Archdiocese of Kisumu.
The serving Bishop of Kisii, Joseph Mairura Okemwa, also announced the appointment locally during a thanksgiving Mass at St Charles Lwanga Cathedral. Bishop Okemwa invited the Bishop-elect to address the congregation.
As Coadjutor Bishop, Joseph Oduor will assist Bishop Okemwa in the pastoral leadership and administration of the diocese. Under Canon 409 §1 of the Code of Canon Law, a coadjutor bishop automatically becomes diocesan bishop when the office becomes vacant.
No date has been announced for Oduor’s episcopal ordination. Until then, he is referred to as Bishop-elect.
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What Joseph Oduor Said After His Appointment
Addressing the congregation at St Charles Lwanga Cathedral, Joseph Oduor thanked Pope Leo XIV for choosing him to serve the Catholic Church in Kisii.
He said he accepted the appointment with humility and obedience, drawing inspiration from the words of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Luke 1:38: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.”
“I totally say yes to the will of God and place myself in the hands of God,” he said.
The Bishop-elect also pledged to work in unity with Bishop Okemwa, the Pope, clergy, religious communities and faithful in the diocese.
“Your Lordship, I promise to work in obedience and communion with the Holy Father and with you, and indeed in collaboration with all the clergy, religious men and women and all the faithful of the diocese,” he said.
He thanked Msgr. Luciano Labanca, Chargé d’Affaires at the Apostolic Nunciature in Kenya, for guiding him before the announcement. He also thanked the Christians who attended the Mass, fellow priests, and his Augustinian superior, Very Rev. Fr Robert Karanja Ireri, for accompanying him.
Profile of Joseph Onyango Oduor
Born on May 2, 1977, Joseph Oduor joined the Order of St Augustine in Kenya in 1998. The religious order is also associated with Pope Leo XIV, who is an Augustinian.
He studied philosophy at the Consolata Institute of Philosophy and theology at Tangaza University in Nairobi. He also completed his novitiate in Jos, Nigeria, and obtained a Licentiate in Philosophy from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.
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Joseph Oduor made his perpetual vows on October 16, 2005, before being ordained a priest on November 4, 2006.
His early assignments included serving at Sacred Heart Parish in Baba Dogo, Nairobi, where he worked as a parochial vicar before becoming parish priest, serving until 2011.
From 2012 to 2019, he served as Prior and Formator at the Augustinian International House of Formation, known as Theologicum, in Nairobi.
He became Parish Priest of St Monica Nyamasaria in 2020 and later served as Dean of the Kisumu Deanery from 2021 to 2024.
Joseph Oduor has also served as a councillor of the Augustinian Vicariate in Kenya since 2015. In 2024, he joined the College of Consultors of the Archdiocese of Kisumu, which assists the archbishop in matters of diocesan governance.
Who Is the Current Bishop of Kisii?
Bishop Joseph Mairura Okemwa, who currently heads the Catholic Diocese of Kisii, was appointed to the position by Pope John Paul II on December 19, 1994.
He was ordained a bishop on July 21, 1995, and has led the diocese for more than three decades.
At 72, Bishop Okemwa will be assisted by Oduor, who has been appointed with the right of succession.
The Catholic Diocese of Kisii was established on May 21, 1960, after being carved out of the Diocese of Kisumu.
Its first bishop was Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga, who served until November 15, 1969, when he was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Nairobi. He later became Kenya’s first cardinal.
Bishop Tiberius Charles Mugendi was appointed to succeed him and led the diocese until his death on December 17, 1993.
Before his death, the diocese’s territory was used to establish the Diocese of Homa Bay on October 18, 1993.
In December 1994, Pope John Paul II subsequently appointed Bishop Okemwa to lead Kisii.
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