Carrying the vibrancy of Kenyan culture, Glenmary’s two newest priests are ready to serve in the home missions.
What began in Kenya has come to fruition in America. This past February, Glenmary proudly added two new priests to its missionary corps. Because of special circumstances the ordinations took place in Kenya, near Lake Victoria, in the Homa Bay area. Now they are back in the United States, carrying with them the grace of their calling and the commitment to serve mission areas in need.
A calling across continents
Father Joseph Maundu, from Masinga, Kenya, and Father Cavine Okello, from Mbita, Kenya, felt the pull toward religious life from a young age. “I grew up in a quite very Catholic family,” Father Joseph says. “I grew up in church, serving in youth, and serving in the church. At a young age I was already desiring to be a priest.”
Father Cavine’s upbringing was very similar, having been brought up in a devout Catholic family. “Each and every Sunday, we used to go to church. As young as eight years old, I think I had started feeling that yearning to be a priest. I would see the priests, then I told my dad that I wanted to join the group of children serving—the altar servers.”
Their journey led them to the Glenmary Home Missioners. Since 2019, Fathers Joseph and Cavine have immersed themselves in the mission spirit, working in underserved parishes, ministering to those on the margins, and embracing the challenges of rural evangelization.
“Glenmary recognized that family is very important,” Father Cavine says after discussing the ways Brother David Henley, Father Bruce Brylinski, and Father Mike Kerin visited his family in Kenya as he discerned joining Glenmary. “By taking you into the congregation they’re showing you that you’re part of their family. Not only you but your parents and your community.”
Glenmary Home Missioners is unique in its focus on mission territories within the US—counties where the Catholic presence is scarce, sometimes comprising less than one percent of the population. It is in these very places that Fathers Joseph and Cavine have spent their time in formation, bringing their faith, culture, and deep sense of service to communities that have welcomed them with open hearts.
“I like active ministry,” Father Joseph shares when asked what led him to Glenmary. “I wanted to be somewhere where I can serve God, being active and involving myself with people of God.”
The path to ordination
After many years of study, formation, and service, the moment they have long awaited is finally here. Their priestly ordination took place in Kenya on February 14, a first international ordination for Glenmary. As they knelt before Bishop Michael C. Otieno Odiwa, they were reminded of the journey that brought them here and the mission that lies ahead.
The Ordination Mass was a lively one filled with music, dancing, and magnified processions—for more than four hours! The outdoor ceremony hosted hundreds of people who came to celebrate the new priests, including a handful of Glenmarians, and two parishioners who flew all the way from the mission where Father Cavine has served, St. Joan of Arc, in Washington County, North Carolina.
But the most important thing? “What I desire now is to be used by God to serve these people in the church and in the world,” says Father Joseph. “I always pray to God that he can give me wisdom to discern and to know whether I’m pursuing his will.”
A return to the mission fields
These new priests return to the United States to serve in Glenmary mission areas. Their work will take them to small towns, where they will build up Catholic communities, minister to the poor, and bring the sacraments to places where priests are few and far between.
“They [the people in the missions] really need us,” says Father Cavine. “They really just need to know that we are there for them. I want to be present. I pray to God to give me that heart to see the dignity of people, the respect that each and every person is important in the eyes of God.”
Father Joseph shares that, among his many pastoral duties, he is taking Communion to the sick and visiting nursing homes at his current mission in Union County, Tennessee. In addition, he helps with the Fresh Wagon, an effort done monthly to provide free and fresh produce to the underserved community of Union County.
Their international background and deep faith will enable them to connect with diverse populations, including immigrants and people of various cultural backgrounds. “I am excited about jail ministry and Hispanic ministry,” Father Joseph shares. Then, he discloses his excitement for plans of faith formation in the missions. “I am ready to collaborate with anybody who will come my way because we do this united as people of God.”
A mission of love
As Fathers Joseph Maundu and Cavine Okello embark on their priestly ministry, they embody the universality of the Catholic Church and the power of mission work. Their journey—back and forth from Africa to America—serves as a testament to faith without borders, reminding us that the call to serve transcends geography and culture.
They take up their priestly ministry with renewed zeal, a strengthened sense of purpose, and the unwavering commitment to their vocation. The mission fields await, and these two priests are ready to answer the call. “I am praying that God may continue to strengthen in me that whatever I say, I will live it fully,” says Father Joseph.
“There has been a distinct feeling of growth, spiritually,” echoes Father Cavine.
Their story is one of faith, courage, and dedication. It’s proof that the missionary spirit continues to thrive, uniting people across continents in a shared mission: spreading Christ’s love.
– Laney Blevins
This article first appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of the Glenmary Challenge.
