Just days after his ordination as a priest, Father Cavine Okello took the reins of a mission parish. Months later, he reflects on this extraordinary journey. By Omar Cabrera
Father Cavine Okello was having a good time in Kenya with his sisters and other relatives. The atmosphere at his parents’ home was full of laughter while some prepared dinner. The family had gathered to celebrate the recent ordination of their beloved Cavine as a Glenmary priest.
“We were remembering stories and making jokes,” Father Cavine says. “This was just a few days after my ordination.”
But the situation would take a turn. At around 9 p.m., when the family was about to have supper, Father Cavine got an unsettling WhatsApp message. “In the US, they were just waking up,” he recalls. The message came from one of the members of the Glenmary council, the governing body of the congregation. “He was urging me to go back to Plymouth as soon as I landed in the US.”
Plymouth is the town in North Carolina where Father Cavine served as a deacon before heading to Kenya for his ordination. In the initial message, “I got a sense of urgency,” he says. The council member told him that “there was an issue with Father Vic’s health and that I needed to get back to the parish.” He should immediately cancel any other celebrations or friends’ visits in the US.
Father Vic Subb, the pastor of the Glenmary parish in Plymouth, was transported to Cincinnati to receive urgently needed medical care after a steep decline of his health.
“It was a surprise, or I can say a shock to me,” Father Cavine says, “because Father Vic was one person that I was looking up to. After ordination to priesthood, I was looking forward to come back [to Plymouth] and work with him, and we used to talk a lot, and he thought he was going to be here.”
It was mid-February this year. Just days later, the recently ordained Glenmary priest was flying back from Nairobi to Raleigh, North Carolina, to then drive to Plymouth. Along with his bags, he carried a lot of uncertainty, but also a strong faith.
A new endeavor
The Glenmary mission of St. Joan of Arc in Plymouth serves the people of Washington County in Eastern North Carolina. Along with the pastor, Glenmary Brother Craig Digmann also serves in the county and lives in the same house where Father Vic lived, and Father Cavine moved in the summer of 2024 as a deacon.
Assuming pastor of a mission parish in the US as a young, recently ordained priest from Kenya proved to be challenging for Father Cavine.
“Father Vic left big shoes to fill,” says Thao Pam, the youth group coordinator at St. Joan of Arc. “I think one of the big challenges is that we have a lot of different cultures in our parish.”
Latinos represent the majority of parishioners at St. Joan of Arc, which includes an outreach ministry to migrant workers at a seafood plant about an hour away from Plymouth. The parish community also includes Anglos and Asians, mainly from the Philippines.
Thao, who was born and raised in the area to a Filipino family, also serves as secretary for the parish council. She highlights that Father Cavine “brings new energy to the parish.” For instance, in preparation for religious education classes this fall, Father Cavine met with catechists and gave an orientation on what to expect from the formation and what they should do to achieve those goals. And on the first day of classes, he spoke to approximately 17 students and parents on how important the sacraments are for us as Catholics.
Father Cavine is also making sure that parishioners understand the relevance of the sacraments and what is aligned with the Catholic doctrine and what is not, says parishioner Jim Fourney. “He seems like it’s important for him to maintain the sanctity of the sacraments.”
The sacraments are one of the sources of strength for Father Cavine. For instance, he says, “You go to the sick person, you anoint them. They feel like, you know, through that power of the anointing, the sacrament, they are feeling better.” Seeing the power of God act that way is very “consoling,” the young Glenmarian highlights.
Aligned with that relevance of the sacraments, Father Cavine is also doing a good job at keeping sacramental records, forms, parishioners’ names and contact information, says catechist Rose Allen. This helps the parish community to advance the different ministries in a more organized way.
Heading the mission parish is “a big task, but Father Cavine has handled it very well,” Thao says. “He has kind of given that structure back.”
A gentle and kind pastor
Beyond all he does, Father Cavine is also making an impact because of the way he does it all. Parishioners see in him a caring and approachable pastor.
“He tries to make everybody comfortable,” Jim adds. “Every weekend, he shakes my hand. He shakes my hand and says ‘Hello!’ and asks me how I’m doing. He is a very personable, outgoing, and welcoming person.”
“He seems to be gentle and kind,” Rose adds. Father Cavine also treasures the love that God and some especially warm parishioners give him. “People love,” he says. “Priesthood is a gift. God has shown me that amid the storm that maybe is going around, there are anchors that I can hold onto.”
“I always try to live one day at a time,” the Glenmarian says. “When I wake up and I celebrate Mass, I go back to the house, the rectory, and I thank God. He has been gracious to me.”
Partner with us in sharing God’s love where it’s needed most. Donate today.
