Mission Activities

• Visit De Paul Centre, our Vincentian seminary/novitiate, as well as Tangaza College or St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary, which have Vincentians faculty members.
• Interact with the trainees and the staff at the DePaul Woodworking Program, where  young men and women learn valuable skills that will help them earn employment and provide for their families.
• Visit kindergartens, grade schools, and junior high schools, where we will meet with the students and teachers. We will observe safe boundaries practices when interacting with children and vulnerable adults.
• Visit area parishes with a focus on the Small Christian Communities, which are small gatherings of Christians in parishes, usually about 10-15 families meeting once every week to reflect on the Word of God and pray together.
• Accompany Vincentians as they make home and village visits with a special attention to very poor families. This will give us a deeper appreciation of the value of the ways that Vincentians serve the poor in Kenya and throughout the world.
• Visit the Kibera slum, one of the largest in the world, and experience the Vincentians’ ministry to those who live there.

Costs and Travel Logistics

• Participants will book their own airfare, which is estimated at approximately $2,000 and is being handled through Tricia Bersett at Travel Tyme in order to coordinate arrivals into Nairobi.
• We will stay at the Vincentians’ St. Lazare House and the Moriarity Institute in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. Each person will have a private bedroom with bathroom and shower, and we will have three meals daily with the Vincentians. Costs for food, lodging, and ground transportation in Kenya are $850 per participant, payable by August 15, 2024.
• Participants should anticipate 18 hours of air travel in each direction, as well as a fair amount of walking each day.
• The Kenya Shilling is the national currency, and there will be an opportunity to exchange U.S. dollars on arrival. It is recommended to bring some cash to cover souvenirs and other spot expenses. Visa and Mastercard are also accepted throughout Nairobi.
• As the purpose of this trip is to become more aware of the ministry and mission of the Vincentians and to experience the global church, the first and most important step is to ask God for the grace to discern if He is calling you to participate in this pilgrimage.
• Once you have registered, specific information will be sent to you regarding travel preparations, packing, required immunizations, etc… A number of mandatory Zoom meetings will be held to discuss logistics and answer questions.