CHICAGO — The Rev. Laurenti Magesa, a theologian whose work has reshaped the study of Catholicism in Africa, will be recognized with an honorary doctorate from DePaul University. The Daughters of Charity in Kenya also will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree for their work educating children and helping disadvantaged women living with HIV and AIDS. A ceremony will take place Dec. 6 at Tangaza College in Nairobi, Kenya.

“Father Magesa has given a groundbreaking voice to the African experience of Catholicism and has inspired scores of students to incorporate their life experiences into their work,” said Marisa Alicea, dean of the School for New Learning at DePaul University.

“We also are pleased to honor the Daughters of Charity for their mission in Kenya. Under the leadership of Sister Catherine Mulligan, these sisters have made lasting improvements to educate and gain medical care for poor, sick and disadvantaged people,” Alicea said.

Theologian reshapes study of African Catholicism
Magesa is the author of more than 100 academic articles and eight books, including “African Religion: The Moral Traditions of Abundant Life,” considered a landmark text in the field. Before Magesa, most scholarship on Catholicism in Africa had been written by Europeans. He was one of the first Anglophone African voices to emerge as an expert on Christianity, offering an insider perspective and encouraging fellow theologians to honor and dig deep into their own African culture and traditions.

Magesa was born in Tanzania and earned a diploma in theology from Makerere University in Uganda. He served as a parish priest and went on to found the Ecumenical Symposium of East Africa Theologians, a group of scholars dedicated to the development and implementation of theological education. He has taught at several universities, mentoring the next generation of theologians, teaching moral theology in Nairobi at Hekima College since 2009.

Daughters of Charity build infrastructure to teach children, empower women
The Daughters of Charity were founded in the 17th century by Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac to minister to the needs of the poor. They formed a mission in the small Kenyan village of Thigio in 2002 and began by managing a health clinic. Later, they expanded to home visits, particularly to people suffering from AIDS or mental illness, and supplied medication and food. They went on to open a nursery to care for at-risk children and founded a residential community and program for women living with HIV and AIDS.

To further their Vincentian mission, the Daughters of Charity opened their first Kenyan seminary in Nairobi in 2008 and welcomed four new sisters. Under Mulligan’s leadership, the sisters designed programs that were coordinated and managed by Kenyans — a sustainable model that continues to give back to the community. In the area of Chepnyal, they offer courses for young women to learn how to cook, knit and sew, while also expanding educational options for children. They have centralized the administration of their programs in Nairobi and opened facilities in two additional locations to serve the poor.

The ceremony is part of commencement activities for an undergraduate degree program offered by DePaul’s School for New Learning in partnership with Tangaza College. Seventeen students will graduate with degrees in leadership and management from the program, which was established in 2006 with a grant from the Conrad H. Hilton Foundation. Students in the program include laypeople and religious men and women who are chosen by their communities because of their leadership potential.

Founded in 1898 in Chicago, Illinois, DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the United States. Tangaza College also is a Catholic institution that prepares graduates for ministerial and social work.

The School for New Learning at DePaul University provides a distinctive approach to learning for adults, with customized programs that build upon abilities and experiences add knowledge and develop skills to help achieve personal and professional goals. More information is online at www.snl.depaul.edu. Information about Tangaza College is online at www.tangaza.org.

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