Before she died, Veronica Kitili — an illiterate woman who taught the Catholic faith to hundreds of children and adults — wondered who would build the church she dreamed of in her village of Kenyatta in the East African nation of Kenya.
Kitili died in 2021, but from 8,000 miles away, Father J. Ronald Knott and Father John Judie — retired priests of the Archdiocese of Louisville — are close to making that dream a reality.
Father Knott said he learned about Kitili’s desire for a church from her daughter, Little Sister of the Poor Stephen Kitili. Sister Kitili ministers in Louisville at St. Joseph Home for the Aged in the Camp Taylor neighborhood, where Father Knott celebrates Mass for residents.
“My mother, on her deathbed, said that she didn’t know if the church would be constructed. When I heard that deep desire, I made it mine as well,” said Sister Kitili. “I kept it in prayer, asking God to provide. … I was driven to talk to Father Ron.”
When he said that he’d help build a church, Sister Kitili said, “It’s a miracle. It’s been his own mission. He’s open to bringing God’s love to others in a remote part of the world. It’s a miracle of trust.”
Construction on the church, a stone structure capable of seating 500 worshipers, started in January. When the doors and windows are installed in the next two weeks, it will be complete. St. Veronica is a mission parish of St. Peter Claver Church in the Diocese of Machakos. A dedication and community-wide celebration are planned for Aug. 10.
‘My mother, on her deathbed, said that she didn’t know if the church would be constructed. When I heard that deep desire, I made it mine as well,” said Sister Kitili. “I kept it in prayer, asking God to provide.’
— Little Sister of the Poor Stephen Kitili
Kitili taught the Catholic faith at night in her home and was a godmother to hundreds. Kitili walked for miles to attend Mass. When she grew too old to walk, she started praying for a church. She requested that one be built, and she lived long enough to oversee the construction of a stick structure with sheet metal roofing — the original St. Veronica, which now sits next to the new church building.
Six village elders, close friends of Kitili, were the first to be baptized in that simple church, Sister Kitili said.
When Father Knott heard her story, “It reminded me so much of my own mother, Mary Ethel Mattingly Knott, a simple woman from the country,” who loved sharing her faith, he said. She died in 1973 at the age of 58. There will be a plaque in St. Veronica’s bell tower to honor his late mother, he said.
Father Knott donated $30,000 and other donors gave another $30,000 for the construction of the church, he said. He’s still raising funds for small furnishings.
Father Judie served as the project’s business manager, Father Knott said. Father Judie has ministered to Kenyans through the Father John Judie Ministries for three decades. He worked closely with Julius Kitili, who is Veronica Kitili’s son and is overseeing the construction.
The villagers have been “very serious about the work. We’ve been pleased to see the level of cooperation,” said Father Judie.
“God has blessed them with this sanctuary for a particular reason. It will be a beacon of evangelization for the greater community,” he said.
That’s the message he will share with the congregation when he travels to Kenya in August to represent Father Knott at the dedication, he said.
Julius Kitili said when the villagers walk by St. Veronica, they look at the building and say, “It’s a miracle.” He agrees. “We are very, very grateful. We feel very honored to have such a church. It’s a miracle,” he said in a phone interview from Kenya.To learn more about St. Veronica Church in Kenya, contact Father Knott at jrknott@bellsouth.net.
