A Homecoming to East Africa: Cardinal Czerny’s Final Mission and 80th Birthday in Nairobi
The event brought together approximately 140 bishops from the nine member Episcopal Conferences (Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia, as well as the associated regions of Djibouti and Somalia). This year's theme was "AMECEA's Synodal Journey with Young People: Building Bridges of Communion, Hope, Justice, and Good Governance."
For Cardinal Czerny, this mission in Nairobi was not merely an institutional commitment, but a genuine homecoming. Before departing from Rome to Nairobi, the Cardinal remarked: "Looking forward to meeting with AMECEA and reflecting together on the challenges facing the Church and all God's people in Eastern Africa, I am happy to return to Nairobi where I spent 8 intensely busy and happy years as director of the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN)."
Indeed, starting in 2002, Father Michael lived and worked for years in Africa, where he founded and directed AJAN, a network that provided pastoral care, education, and emergency healthcare to people affected by HIV/AIDS in nearly thirty countries across the continent. This experience profoundly shaped his personal and spiritual journey, and forged a special bond between Cardinal Czerny and the Church in East Africa, and in particular in Nairobi, a city where he lived and worked day in and day out alongside the most vulnerable communities.
These days also marked a significant coincidence: on 18 July, Cardinal Michael reached the age of 80! This visit to Kenya was, in fact, one of his final official missions as Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, a dicastery which he has helped to lead since 2017, first as Undersecretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section, then as Prefect from 2022 onwards with particular attention to the issues of social justice, care for migrants, and integral ecology.
Returning to Africa and to Nairobi in particular for an assembly dedicated to young people, and to building bridges of communion and hope, symbolically brought things full circle: the continent where Cardinal Czerny devoted his energy and many years of his life to serving the most vulnerable welcomed him back, at a time when the synodal journey of the Church in East Africa is being revitalised.
The Return to Kangemi and the Visit to Lang'ata Women's Prison
Before the official opening of the Assembly, on July 17 the Cardinal visited the parish of St. Joseph the Worker in Kangemi, the community where he lived and worked for eight years as Director of the African Jesuit AIDS Network. "It is a joy to return to a community I consider home," said the Cardinal, recalling the years spent alongside the people of Kangemi. Welcomed with great warmth, he visited the works born precisely from AJAN's experience including the Upendo rehabilitation center for children, the Uzima counseling center, and St. Joseph Technical School meeting with staff, students, and beneficiaries, and encouraging young people to see education as a path of service and hope.
Cardinal Czerny also traveled to the maximum-security women's prison of Lang'ata, in Nairobi, accompanied by representatives of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops. The visit was meant as a tangible sign of the Church's closeness to those living on the margins of society: the Prefect invited the inmates to always cultivate and share hope, despite their circumstances.
Children of God Relief Institute (COGRI)–Nyumbani Welcomes His Eminence Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ
On 18th July 2026, COGRI–Nyumbani was honored to receive His Eminence Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, on a strategic visit that served as a profound affirmation of the institution's mission and enduring legacy of compassionate service.
The Cardinal was accompanied by a Vatican delegation comprising Fr. Dumisani Vilakati, Regional Coordinator for Kenya at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, and Fr. Joseph Savarimuthu, Secretary to the Prefect. Also present were representatives of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar: Fr. Ismael Matambura, SJ, Director of AJAN, and Fr. Rampe Hlobo, SJ, Director of JEO. Members of the COGRI–Board in attendance included Fr. Elias Opondo, SJ, representing the Jesuit East African Province, alongside Ms. Elizabeth Wanjiku and Mr. Barlet Jaji.
The delegation was warmly received by Sr. Doris Ann Mulongo (SMK), General Manager of COGRI, together with the dedicated staff and the children of Nyumbani.
The visit began with a comprehensive presentation on COGRI operations, followed by a guided tour of Nyumbani Home and the Nyumbani Diagnostic Laboratory, providing the Cardinal and his delegation with firsthand insight into the institution's holistic approach to caring for vulnerable children and promoting community health.
A defining highlight of the visit was Cardinal Czerny's heartfelt reflection on his deep personal and spiritual connection with the late Fr. Angelo D'Agostino, SJ, the visionary founder of Nyumbani. He expressed great joy in witnessing the vitality of the programs that support and empower talented and vulnerable children, noting that Fr. D'Agostino's spirit and vision continue to inspire the organization's mission and remain a driving force behind its impact.
The visit concluded on a particularly joyful note as Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, celebrated his 80th birthday with the children of Nyumbani. Together, they marked the occasion by cutting a birthday cake and sharing moments of joy, laughter and fellowship. The heartwarming celebration beautifully complemented the day's strategic engagements, reflecting the Cardinal's humility, compassion and enduring love for children while showcasing the vibrant spirit of the Nyumbani family.
This memorable visit further strengthened the longstanding relationship between the Holy See and COGRI, while renewing a shared commitment to promoting the dignity, holistic care and empowerment of every child within the Nyumbani family. It was a powerful reminder that the legacy of service envisioned by Fr. Angelo D'Agostino continues to flourish through the dedication of the Board, management, staff, partners, and all those who walk alongside the children of Nyumbani.
The Opening Mass and the Address to the Assembly
On July 19, Cardinal Czerny presided over the opening Mass of the 21st AMECEA Plenary Assembly at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. In his homily, he invited the young people present to become "builders of authentic bridges of communion" and to live a Christian witness capable of quietly transforming society, like leaven in bread. Drawing on Pope Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas and the day's Gospel parables, he urged them: "Do not be robbed of hope!" He called for patient and prudent dialogue, warning against the temptation of quick, punitive measures that risk destroying the good that is struggling to grow.
The following day, July 20, the Prefect gave his address before the bishops gathered in the Assembly. In his remarks, he outlined the Dicastery's mission and invited the AMECEA bishops to reflect on the main obstacles to integral human development in their respective dioceses (such as forced migration, climate change, youth unemployment), and on what pastoral actions we, as Church, can offer to accompany the people of God in facing them.
