Congregations on two continents are united in shock and sorrow
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THEY are thousands of miles apart. But yesterday two congregations on separate continents were united in sorrow and disbelief.
The people in Kericho, southwest Kenya, were stunned by the killing of Father Jeremiah (Jerry) Roche; while Athea, Co Limerick, was in shock.
Kericho, the centre of Kenya's lucrative tea industry, was last year virtually cut off when violence erupted between the country's tribes. Fr Roche was well known in the area, and he was a man who liked to sing old ballads and play the accordion. He loved the Irish language and he gave his life to the poorest of the poor.
The killing was brutal, said Kericho's Bishop Emmanuel Okombo.
"It has left me numb," said Father Tom Tiggins, a friend of 50 years, speaking in Limerick.
Fr Tiggins, a spokesman for St Patrick's Mission Society, said his friend was "a great guy" who built a number of churches and was a very popular man.
"He liked to sing and play the accordion. He was always giving to others and always interested in any projects he could set up for the benefit of others," Fr Tiggins added.
The fourth youngest of five brothers and six sisters from TempleAthea, Athea, Co Limerick, Fr Roche spent 41 years working with the Kiltegan Fathers. His sisters -- Kit, Mary-Ann, Eileen, Nora, Hannah and Margaret, along with his brothers Patrick, Noel, Christy, and Michael -- learned of the shocking news yesterday.
In his younger years, Fr Roche represented Athea on the GAA field and always looked forward to visits home and in particular to supporting the Limerick hurlers.
Character
Father Patrick Bowen, a local parish priest, recalled how his colleague "stood in" for him during the summer. "My God, what a character. He was some man to tell a joke or a story. On top of that, he would also listen to you," Fr Bowen said.
When the occasion arose at a social function, Fr Roche could be counted on to sing 'The Boys of Barna Sraide' and 'Sean South'. Fr Bowen added: "Everyone in Athea was thrilled to see him in front of them -- one of their own back home."
Fr Bowen recalled how the pair teased each other over the length of their sermons earlier this year.
"He would go on a bit longer than I would and the west Limerick congregations would not be used to that," Fr Bowen joked.
"He was a fine speaker and somebody the Church could be very proud of. He was looking forward to coming home, but now poor Jerry won't be able to live out his last years here with us," he added.
Attacks on the clergy near Kericho are not uncommon.
In December 2007, two priests were attacked at Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral in Kericho town. Three suspects were later arrested in connection with the attack.
Last year, several tea companies had to evacuate some 30,000 displaced people in lorries and in trailers attached to tractors, and the Kiltegan Fathers helped to look after some of them.
- Barry Duggan and Ciaran Byrne
Irish Independent
