Families of 16 Pilgrims, Driver Killed on the Way to Marian Shrine in Kenya Assured of Church’s Solidarity

Archbishop Dominic Kimengich offered spiritual solidarity to the families of 16 parishioners and their driver who died in a crash on October 3. The victims were members of St. Mathias Mulumba Mikindani Parish in the Archdiocese of Mombasa and were traveling to the National Marian Shrine in Subukia for the 2026 annual National Prayer Day.

During a joint Requiem Mass on Thursday, October 8, Archbishop Kimengich described the deaths as sudden and tragic. He extended condolences to the bereaved families, Parish Priest Father Patrick Maingi, and the Small Christian Communities that lost members.

The Archbishop acknowledged that the accident has left the families and the wider Kenyan Catholic community with difficult questions regarding why such misfortune occurred while the group was traveling to pray. He encouraged the faithful to find strength through their faith and to imitate the obedience of Christ.