The Hands of Christ - Our Great Commission (Part 1)

St. Joseph’s Hospital is located in the city of Migori, the capital of the Migori District of Nyanza Province in Western Kenya. Situated near the Kenya-Tanzania border, SJH serves a large population across a broad geographical region. 

The hospital began as a small clinic on the campus of St. Joseph’s Catholic parish in 1974 by Rev. Fr. Knap. Its mission was simple: to live out the Great Commission to reach all those in need, irrespective of faith, by bringing affordable healthcare to an impoverished region beleaguered by disease and death.  

In 1981, with assistance from the Dutch government, Dutch NGO’s, the Kenyan government, and in cooperation with the Catholic diocese of Kisii, the hospital was able to expand its operations and facilities. Land was secured, buildings erected, and the medical staff grew. The hospital became a magnet of care throughout the region. Better facilities and staff meant that more people were being cared for and more lives were being saved. 

In 1999 the hospital was completely given over to the Catholic Diocese of Homa-Bay. Currently, its operations are overseen by a Board of Governors, headed by Rt. Rev. Bishop Phillip S. Anyolo. 

Rt. Rev. Bishop Phillip S. Anyolo

Serving alongside a large team of doctors, nurses, and student volunteers, is Rev.Fr. Joseph Matiko, a Catholic priest and St. Joseph’s chaplain.

“The figure of the hospital chaplain is becoming increasingly important. Sickness does not affect only the body but the whole person, and it calls for a holistic approach,” says Rev. Fr. Matiko. The Chaplain’s job is to defend the sanctity of human life, to bring comfort and compassion to those who are sick or dying, and to counsel those who struggle in their faith.

 In addition to visiting patients on the wards, the Chaplain conducts the sacrament of Last Rights, performs the weekly Eucharist (Holy Communion) and the daily office (daily prayer). There is no chapel on campus, so he has to make due, converting a storage room and table into a place of worship.

Rev. Fr. Matiko, Chaplain

Ministering to the physical needs of the patients at St. Joseph’s will be the main purpose of my time there. But I am truly eager for the chance to join in worship with my Kenyan brothers and sisters in Christ. The liturgy of the Church unites the Body of Christ across the world and throughout history. It is our connection to those believers who came before, and it is a foretaste of our eternal joy in the life to come.

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-29