Sister Nyaatha’s Beatification Ceremony Kicks Off

The event will be presided over by the Vatican’s representative to Kenya and various cardinals.

Catholic Nyeri Diocese Bishop Peter Kairu intimated that pilgrims will then attend the beatification mass at Kimathi University on Saturday and another mass on Sunday at St. Mary’s boys and Our Lady of Consolata church.

This comes after the Mathari church tomb of sister Irene was opened on Thursday in a ceremony to confirm that her remains were still intact 20 years since they were sealed in a sacred box.

This ceremony was overseen by six specially selected witnesses to testify that the seal had not been broken which is vital for the beatification.

Sister Nyaatha died in 1930

This happened at the same time as Bishop Kairu and other priests presided over a special mass at the Dedan Kimathi University to cleanse the grounds. 

After the beatification, the remains of Sister Irene Stefani will be moved to a special place prepared at St. Mary’s cathedral in Nyeri and here they will remain until the next step on the road to sainthood.

Nyeri residents and catholic faithful from all over the world will on Friday evening hold a vigil at Gikondi where Sister Nyaatha lived and died.

The mass comes after the opening of the tomb in which Sister Nyaatha's remains had been interred at Mathari Central church on Thursday.

The remains have been laying at the tomb for 20 years after they were exhumed in 1995 from Mathari cemetery.

Sister Nyaatha died in 1930.

She will be declared a Blessed after Saturday's beatification.

By Wangui Ngechu and Maureen Murimi