Interruption Not End of Vocation, Kenyan Catholic Priest after Reuniting with Congregation

Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla shared his journey of returning to the priesthood during his perpetual profession on Sunday, September 27. The Kenyan priest previously spent nine years in formation with the Congregation of the Holy Spirit before being dismissed as he prepared for perpetual profession.

Fr. Onyalla told ACI Africa that he was dismissed without what he considered an adequate explanation, an experience that left him heartbroken and uncertain about whether he would ever become a priest. He later met Bishop Caesar Mazzolari of the Diocese of Rumbek in South Sudan, who assisted him through a period of discernment. Following this guidance, Fr. Onyalla was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rumbek in March 2005.

In a note shared with ACI Africa, Fr. Onyalla said that while an interruption in a vocation can be deeply painful, it does not have to be the end. He expressed hope that his story provides courage to others facing similar disruptions in their own lives.