{"id":6705,"date":"2026-09-20T19:26:55","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T19:26:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/?p=6705"},"modified":"2026-09-20T19:31:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T19:31:11","slug":"father-pascal-makokha-being-authentic-in-faith-and-welcoming-toward-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/father-pascal-makokha-being-authentic-in-faith-and-welcoming-toward-others\/","title":{"rendered":"Father Pascal Makokha: &#8220;Being authentic in faith and welcoming toward others&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260702Pascal-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6706\" srcset=\"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260702Pascal-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260702Pascal-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260702Pascal-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260702Pascal.jpg 1230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Father Pascal Makokha during the continuing education course in Rome. Photo: Jaime C. Patias<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Born in 1971 in Kakamega, Western Kenya, in the archdiocese of Kisumu, Pascal Otieno Makokha is the son of Grogan E. Masakhwe and Margaret Angulu. The Consolata missionary, currently serving at Kimbiji parish in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, shares his vocation story, formation journey, and mission in this video, recorded in Rome in September 2025 during the G25 ongoing formation course.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>By Jaime C. Patias *<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Padre Pascal Makokha: \u201cEssere autentici nella fede e accoglienti verso gli altri\u201d\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LtkCfBdJTdI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pascal Makokha completed his studies at his village school. There he learned about the Consolata Missionaries through a classmate who was in contact with them. &#8220;I received a copy of The Seed magazine, and afterward I began keeping in touch with the vocations director, Father Luigi Bruno, who came to visit me at school. After finishing high school, I entered the Consolata Seminary in Nairobi,&#8221; he recounts. He was then admitted to the Novitiate in Sagana, which concluded with his first religious profession on August 5, 1995.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pascal continued his theological studies at the &#8220;Allamano House&#8221; Seminary in Nairobi and, after his ordination on January 6, 2001, was sent on mission to Tanzania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I worked in pastoral ministry for two years and then went to study in Rome, later returning to Tanzania where I served in three missions: the Consolata Mission Center in Bunju, then the mission of Pawaga, and finally Makambako, where I stayed for ten years,&#8221; he recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"517\" src=\"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260701Pascahl3-1024x517.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6709\" srcset=\"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260701Pascahl3-1024x517.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260701Pascahl3-300x151.jpg 300w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260701Pascahl3-768x388.jpg 768w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260701Pascahl3.jpg 1230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>A moment of prayer during the continuing education course in Rome, September 2025.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Makambako is a very large parish, the only Consolata Missionaries&#8217; mission in the diocese of Njombe. It&#8217;s a place with many religious denominations and different churches. Our task is to evangelize our Christians and deepen their faith so that they don&#8217;t drift away from the community to attend other churches,&#8221; explains Father Pascal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, given the number of Muslims present in the territory of Kimbiji parish, in the archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, as parish priest, Father Pascal Makokha works in a context of interreligious dialogue. &#8220;We are working in dialogue with Muslims and with people of other religious confessions. This has been important for me because I&#8217;ve had the opportunity to listen to them, to be with them, and to explain my faith to them,&#8221; says the missionary. &#8220;The most important thing is to be authentic in our faith, to be welcoming toward others, and above all to listen \u2014 and as our Founder, Saint Joseph Allamano, insisted: to be saints first, then missionaries. We must try to live in the present reality, to listen, and to share the Good News of the Gospel,&#8221; he observes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"649\" src=\"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260701Paschal6-1024x649.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6710\" srcset=\"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260701Paschal6-1024x649.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260701Paschal6-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260701Paschal6-768x487.jpg 768w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260701Paschal6.jpg 1230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Father Pascal with participants of the G25 course at the Motherhouse in Turin. Photo: Gigi Anataloni<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Celebrating his Priestly Jubilee, 25 years of ordination, Father Pascal believes this journey has been a great experience. &#8220;It has been a long road, but a very rich one, because I have learned many things. The refresher course in Rome also helped me to renew myself; it was very enriching and made me reflect on my work in the mission. For this reason, I am very happy to celebrate my 25 years of ordination together with the Church&#8217;s Jubilee Year (2025). It is a time of hope, a time to live with trust in God, and to reflect the message of hope in the places where we work,&#8221; says Father Pascal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Returning to his mission, the missionary says he feels enriched, full of energy, and renewed &#8220;to improve myself and help the Christians live this moment of Jubilee and hope.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"fonte wp-block-paragraph\"><em>* Father Jaime C. Patias, IMC, Communications Office.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Born in 1971 in Kakamega, Western Kenya, in the archdiocese of Kisumu, Pascal Otieno Makokha is the son of Grogan E. Masakhwe and Margaret Angulu. The Consolata missionary, currently serving at Kimbiji parish in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, shares his vocation story, formation journey, and mission in this video, recorded in Rome in September 2025 during the G25 ongoing formation course.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6706,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,153,6,20,16,19,24],"tags":[121,37,92,315],"class_list":["post-6705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-consolata-missionaries","category-featured","category-mission","category-spirituality","category-training","category-vocational","tag-consolata-missionaries","tag-kenya","tag-ongoing-formation","tag-silver-jubilee","post_format-post-format-video"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6705"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6705\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6711,"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6705\/revisions\/6711"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}