Sister Irene Stefani’s relatives troop in from Italy

Relatives and neighbours of the family of the late Sr Irene Stefani arrived in Nyeri yesterday for the beatification ceremony.

The ecstatic family from Brescia in Italy, arrived in the company of Consolata sisters from Italy, Bolivia, Portugal, Spain, Tanzania and Philippines among other countries.

They arrived in a convoy of five buses and eight Land Cruisers, and their first port of call was the town’s main cathedral, where they inspected the glass tomb on the right side of the church’s main alter, which will serve as the final resting place of the relics.

Giovanni Zecchini, 51, whose grandmother is the sister of the late nun, said he had made the journey all the way from Brescia in Italy to see his celebrity relative move a step closer to sainthood.

“I am very happy to be here. The hospitality of the Nyeri people is great,” said Zecchini, who spoke in Italian, through an interpreter. Sister Salesa Mghaya, from Tanzania, who has studied the works of the late Stefani and wrote a paper, said she was glad to be back to witness the beatification, because as per her study, she knew beatification and finally sainthood were just steps away.

“It is good to be back. The faith of the people of Gikondi and their prayers are what has brought us here. They have prayed without ceasing for the past 85 years and now here we are,” said Sr Mghaya.

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She said the beatification was one of those major events that will place Kenya on the world map.
“The world knew Kenya because of your world-beating athletes; then they heard you speak about the post-poll violence; and now they know you because of this great ceremony,” said Sr Mghaya.

There were also the Guerini’s who said, “their father is the son of Sister Irene”. They too, spoke in Italian and they were happy to be in Nyeri to see the final honour any Catholic can get in the journey to sainthood bestowed on one of their own.

Also in the entourage was the retired parish priest from Anfo, the home of Stefani in Italy, Fr Don Rutillion Nabacino, who had come to witness the beatification and take back the good news to Italy.

Meanwhile, at the cathedral grounds, businessmen got ready to cash in on the multitudes showing up for the ceremony.

There were T-shirts for Sh800; handkerchiefs with Nyaatha’s portrait for Sh100; head-scarves for Sh250 each and branded umbrellas for the event for between Sh800 and Sh930. Kevin Kimani, 21, a computer science student at the Dedan Kimathi University was also hawking brochures and booklets.