Fr. Richard Quinn –missionary par excellence
After 61 years of continuous missionary work in Kenya, Fr. Richard Quinn, an American Maryknoll priest, has returned to his home country in the United States of America.
Fr. Dick Quinn as he is popularly known to friends in Kenya, was advised to seek specialised medical treatment in his home country.
A look at Fr. Quinn’s long CV gives one a glimpse of an illustrious priest who sought to mentor and prepare young Kenyans for the future.
Among those who count him as a mentor and spiritual father are the new Bishop of
Kakamega and Chairman of the Commission for Social Communications at the Kenya Conference
of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), Bishop Joseph Obanyi. Fr. Quinn baptised Bishop Obanyi
when the latter was still an infant.
As the Director of Kenya’s Ukweli Video Productions for many years, Fr Quinn journeyed
with the current Archbishop of Mombasa, Martin Kivuva and together they produced hundreds
of videos that are currently being used in Kenya and beyond.
Just a month before his departure, Fr. Quinn signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the Government of Kenya’s Ministry of Education and “Vision 2030”. Through
Fr. Quinn’s “Stadi Za Maisha Educational Trust,” the government and Vision 2030 will
convert what used to be holiday tuition centres into holiday camps where children
can gather for an 8-days talent identification and development programme during their
school holidays. Kenya Vision 2030 is the country's development programme which covers
the period 2008 to 2030. On the other hand, Stadi Za Maisha Educational Trust is a
project founded by Fr. Quinn to promote life skills and lived values among young people.
Fr. Quin also signed another MoU with the male religious congregation of the Apostles
of Jesus. Through this MoU, the Apostles of Jesus will build a centre of excellence
for gifted and talented youth. The centre will be named after St. Joseph and will
seek to identify and nurture talent among Kenya’s gifted youth.
Fr. Quinn is also the founder of Kenya’s St. John Paul II Parish Evangelization ministry.
Founded 30 years ago, this ministry has now spread throughout Kenya.
“Fr. Quinn inspired me to evangelize in my Parish. Together with my wife we conduct
door to door peace and justice programmes, through counselling and evangelization
to the families. We implement the Vatican II Council chapter XVI that talks about
evangelization by lay people as promoted by Pope John Paul II when he come to Kenya,”
says Philip Odero Kokore from Homabay Diocese, one of the founder members of Fr. Quinn’s
St John II evangelization team.
A farewell party was hosted in honour of this missionary par excellence at the residence of Maryknoll priests in Nairobi.
By Rose Achiego
(e-mail: engafrica@vatiradio.va)
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