The history of the Vicariate of Eastern Africa Dominican Friars Part One

1. Vicariate of Eastern Africa

2. Dominicans from St. Joseph Province, US, were asked to staff St Thomas Aquinas
Seminary in Nairobi, in 1963.

3. Dominican
Contemplative
Nuns come from
the Unites States,
in May, 1965, to
establish Corpus
Christi Monastery

4. Fr. Terence O’Shaunnesey with the nuns.
The nuns lived at the seminary for two years until their monastery was completed.

5. During the school year, 1968-1969,
the Dominicans clashed with the
bishops, over finances. At the time,
there was only one African bishop.
The others were Europeans. The
bishops decided to replace the
principal of the seminary with a
non-Dominican and the
Dominicans decided to leave the
seminary.

6. Bishop Maurice Otunga, the one African bishop, was the only bishop who voted to
retain the Dominican presence at the seminary. Later, as Archbishop of Nairobi,
Cardinal Otunga requested the Master of the Order to bring the Dominicans back
to Kenya. Cardinal Otunga’s cause is being considered for beatification.

7. Bert Ebben makes exploratory visit
to Kenya at request of the MO;
later in the year he and Bernie
Dupont startBert Ebben makes
exploratory visit to Kenya at
In 1985, at the request of the Master of the Order, Fr. Bert Ebben made an exploratory
visit to consider a mission in Kenya. Later in that year, Fr. Bert and Fr. Bernard Dupont
began a house in Kisumu.

8. Fr. Damian Bryne visited Nairobi and Kisumu in May, 1990, with the provincials of
the Eastern and Southern provinces along with other friars. It was agreed that the
Eastern Province should take responsibility, with help from the other provinces.

9. A
A commissioning ceremony for the friars going to Kenya took place at the House of
Studies in Washington.

10. Fr. John Pius O’Brien (Southern Province); Fr. Bill Sinkele (Eastern Province);
Fr. Lawrence Kearney (Central Province); Fr. Frank Sutman (Eastern Province)

11. Br. Edward Van Merrienboer, Socius for the Apostolic Life , addresses the
congregation.

12. Representative of the Student Brothers, Br. Dominic Izzo, addresses the congregation

13. Congregation blesses the friars.

14. Fr. Frank Sutman, Fr. John Pius O’Brien, Fr. Lawrence Kearney, Fr. Bill Sinkele

15. Fr. Thomas Ertle, Provincial of the Eastern Province, with friars