St Joseph's Formation Centre

Theodor Wubbels MHM describes the new Formation Centre for Mill Hill students which was officially opened by Fr. Tony Chantry MHM on 26th August 2007:

"The centre aims to be a modest setting: ten houses of the many more that (will) make up “Chelsea Marina Courts”, just after “Lang’ata Shopping Centre”. At the moment, there is room for 20 students. They live in 5 independent house-communities. The chapel, common-room, library and formators’ houses make up the rest of the compound.

However… is it truly possible to be a modest setting at the edge of mega-slum Kibera? According to UN agency Habitat 1.6 million of Nairobi’s population of 3.5 million inhabitants live in 199 slums. Our uncountable neighbours, densely huddled together beyond the swampy Nairobi Dam, are a constant and confronting reminder that mission is not about settling. Our call is a continuous exodus from our cosy comfort-zones, through the ‘Dam of Reeds’ to where the people are.

For this reason, much appreciation was expressed for the artists who created the chapel. The liturgical centre of our formation-centre centres on maritime elements: doors, altar, lectern, tabernacle, bookshelves, prayer supports and chandeliers consist of drift-wood. The ‘unfinished’ ceiling symbolizes the scum on the waves. A rudder of an old boat serves as the altar: doesn’t Jesus try to give a direction to our unpredictable journey called life? The chapel wants to make clear that the course of our existence is not all clear, even if we are anchored in “amare et servire”. We live in hope, but only God knows where our “disciple-ship” will take us. "

With the expected rise in the number of students at the Centre, the decision to purchase three more houses was taken.