Korir heir yet to be named two years after cleric’s exit

It has been two years since the demise of peace icon and former Eldoret diocese Catholic Church Bishop Cornelius Korir and a successor is yet to be deployed.

The acting Bishop Maurice Crowley 73, has shepherded the diocese alongside his Kitale one since the passing on of Korir on October 30, 2017.

Catholic bishops retire at the age of 75, and Crowley, who was born in May 11, 1946 has a year and eight months to exit.

The Eldoret diocese’s apostolic administrator has been in an adroit balancing between Kitale and Eldoret over the past two years since Korir left the void.

Catholic faithful requested Pope Francis who recently concluded an apostolic tour of three African nations including Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius and who also sent best wishes to Kenya and President Uhuru Kenyatta as he overflew the country on his way back to Rome, to hasten the process.

Appointed by pope

“Even I, the apostolic administrator do not know when a new Bishop will be appointed by the pope. We are praying that we have one soon,” Bishop Crowley told the Sunday Standard after presiding over a mass at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Eldoret.

Crowley urged diocesans to be patient, saying apostolic work has not been affected by the delay.

He says he has dutifully served the vast diocese of Eldoret where Korir steered the Church and traversed volatile North Rift areas rocked by deadly banditry attacks, preaching peace and cohesion.

“When a new Bishop comes in, at a time to be decided by the Pope, I will happily cross Moi’s Bridge (the border between Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia) and go back to Kitale, knowing I have served the faithful to the best of my ability,” said Crowley.

Richard Kayab, a peace coordinator in Elgeyo Marakwet County who also worked with Bishop Korir in peace building programmes said Catholic faithful are hoping for another peace icon.

“It is the prerogative of the pope to choose a Bishop. It has taken long but we are hoping eventually that we shall get one who will fit into the shoes of the late Bishop Korir,” he said. The Catholic diocese of Eldoret is among other diocese’s without apostolic heads.