Maina Paul Waithaka, 29

First assignment: St. Sylvester Parish, Chicago

Education: Singwaya Primary School, Mother of Apostles Seminary and Consolata Institute of Philosophy, all in Kenya

Parents: Annah Wangari Njugi

First Mass: 6:30 p.m. May 18 at Our Lady of Grace Church, Chicago

Maina Paul Waithaka’s yearning to be a priest began in his Kenya grade school when he served Mass for the Maryknoll priests.

“I wanted to become a priest but they told me then I’d have to wait,” said Waithaka. “I became discouraged and the desire went away. Later a simple, humble, down-to-earth priest from Chicago came and rekindled my interest in the priesthood.”

That priest was Father Tom McQuaid.

Waithaka says the two talked and eventually he entered a minor seminary operated by the St. Patrick friars.

“I was exposed to Catholic Mass every day,” he said. “After four years of studying, I applied to 13 places and got accepted into a seminary run by the Society of Missionaries of Africa.”

Waithaka’s mentor [McQuaid] returned to the U.S. but the two kept in touch. Three years later McQuaid asked Waithaka if he’d consider coming to Chicago despite the differences in culture and language.

“I prayed and after three months said ‘OK,’” he said.

Waithaka hopes to spend part of his priesthood working with Spanish-speaking parishes. He particularly looks forward to working with youth and doing sacramental preparation programs like Confirmation.

Waithaka looks upon the abuse scandal in the church as a wake-up call [to priests]: How true am I to myself as a priest?

“It’s something that always will come to my mind as a priest knowing that people look to me as a role model,” he said.“I have to be a role model as opposed to being a suspect.”

Waithaka is grateful to Cardinal George and all the people who accepted and helped him on his journey to becoming a priest. He especially sends his gratitude to the parishioners at St. Benedict (Blue Island) and the members of its St. Peter Claver Mission and Our Lady of Grace.

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