The Carmel of Juja is a Foundation from the Catalonian Province of Spain. The idea of this foundation in Kenya came to be in the year 2000. All was not clear and at a certain time it seemed impossible due to the present crisis of vocations in Europe. The idea was presented to the Federation of Nuns several times. No outcome was reached because the six Carmelite monasteries of the Federation needed to have enough material resources before the move.
The community of the Presentation of Mary in Valls took the full responsibility of the foundation and were fervently praying over the matter that God may intervene. In 2003, having shared the idea with the Superiors in Rome and His Grace Raphael Ndingi Mwana a Nzeki, the Archbishop of Nairobi, the Nuns received the permission. The Kenya Episcopal Conference allowed them to negotiate with any bishop in Kenya in establishing of a monastery. By this time the first group of Carmelite nuns from Utrera, Spain had already started the construction of their monastery in Machakos, Kenya. Also, the idea for the Carmelite Friars to settle in a different diocese was on move. The Superiors saw it wise to open the monastery of nuns in the same diocese with the Friars. The bishop of Ngong, Rt. Rev. Cornelius Schilder granted the permission and at the same time a house in a place called Oloikirikirai which was used by other sisters who had left due to tribal clashes.
The Carmelites left Catalonia (Spain) and arrived in Kenya on 1st April 2005 ready to settle in their new home in Oloikirikirai in Ngong diocese. Sr. Jacinta says: “The name Oloikirikirai sounded in the whole world and everyone knew that we were going there but after examining and checking everything keenly and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit we realized that the place was not suitable for the monastery according to the Constitutions (Art. 164 No. 2). We requested the bishop to grant us another place but he kept insisting that we stay in Oloikirikirai”.
Things were becoming harder everyday but God who so loves did not close the doors. He opened another way and the Archdiocese of Nairobi welcomed the nuns to his Archdiocese. At this time, the nuns had nowhere to stay and they had to stay with their sisters in Machakos who had already established themselves. This was from from 3rd May to 12th August 2005.
The Catalonian nuns say that their sisters were so kind to them that they shared everything with them until they got a new place called Juja Farm within the Archdiocese of Nairobi. Since then, they rented a house waiting for the temporal monastery under construction to be completed. They were granted a small space within a parish (St. James Catholic Mission) to build this temporal house which would accommodate ten nuns.
Sr. Jacinta says: “The Archdiocese of Nairobi helped us very much and through the efforts of the parish priest Fr. Robert Kaiza Kiiza of the Congregation of Marian Hill, the procurator Fr. Anthony and the Lawyer of the Archdiocese we managed to get a land of six hectares near the parish where we are today building our permanent home.
The Catalonian nuns say that their sisters were so kind to them that they shared everything with them until they got a new place called Juja Farm within the Archdiocese of Nairobi. Since then, they rented a house waiting for the temporal monastery under construction to be completed. They were granted a small space within a parish (St. James Catholic Mission) to build this temporal house which would accommodate ten nuns.
Sr. Jacinta says: “The Archdiocese of Nairobi helped us very much and through the efforts of the parish priest Fr. Robert Kaiza Kiiza of the Congregation of Marian Hill, the procurator Fr. Anthony and the Lawyer of the Archdiocese we managed to get a land of six hectares near the parish where we are today building our permanent home.
Juja Farm is in the Kenyan Central Province in Thika District, Ruiru Location and the area is a semi arid zone. The people of the area are mostly from the Kikuyu tribe. It’s approximately 45 Km from the city of Nairobi.
At the moment, Carmel of Juja is composed of 13 nuns. Two finally professed, one simple professed, four novices (preparing for their first profession which will take place on 15th October, 2008), four pre-novices and two pre-postulants.
Carmel of Juja is dedicated to Mary, Mother of God.
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