In a somber, solemn mood, so uncharacteristic of the vibrant Weekly College Mass at Hekima University College held on Wednesdays at Hekima University College’s Chapel on Joseph Kangethe Road, students, staff, friends, companions, and collaborators gathered to bid farewell to Fr. Paulin Manwelo, SJ, who passed away at a Nairobi hospital on 22nd February.
“Though our hearts are heavy with grief, we also come with gratitude for the immense gift that he was to the Society of Jesus, to the Province of Central Africa, to the Province of Madagascar, to Hekima University College, and to all those whose lives he touched with his wisdom, humility, and unwavering dedication,”. HUC Principal Fr. Marcel Uwineza, SJ, expressed in his introductory remarks during the requiem Mass.
He eulogized Fr. Manwelo, saying he was a man of quality, a beacon of excellence, a model of rigor, and an intellectual giant. “His passion for knowledge was not just for personal enlightenment but was deeply rooted in his desire to form and shape the minds and hearts of those under his guidance,” Fr. Marcel said adding that the late Fr. Manwelo understood that proper formation is not just about acquiring knowledge but about cultivating discernment, integrity, and a deep commitment to justice.
The late Fr. Manwelo made immense contributions to the Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations at Hekima University College and is credited with building the five-story postgraduate campus complex. He did this during his reign as the institute’s second director, having taken over from the Late Fr. Aquiline Tarimo, SJ. According to Fr. Marcel, the late Fr. Manwelo believed that peace is not simply the absence of conflict but the presence of justice, dialogue, and mutual understanding.
The Hekima Institute for Peace Studies and International Relations Program was initiated in 2004 by the then Hekima College Rector and Principal Rev. Eugene Goussikindey, SJ. The program was under him briefly before he delegated the mandate to Rev. Aquiline Tarimo, SJ, as the first director. However, Father Tarimo only held the position for less than six months, after which he resigned. Father Goussikindey appointed the then Dean of the Jesuit School of Theology, Rev. Jean-Marie Hyacinthe Quenum, SJ, to oversee the program, a position he held for approximately one year. Rev. Paulin Manwelo, SJ, then came in as the director of the institute, which he shepherded until the completion of the new building and the moving of the program from the Hekima Undergraduate Campus on Joseph Kangethe Road to the Postgraduate Campus on Riara Road.
Father Manwelo then handed over the mantle to Rev. Gaspar Sunhwa, SJ, who served until 2013. Hekima Peace Studies and International Relations program has since had Rev. Elias Opongo, SJ, Rev. Kifle Wansamo, SJ, and currently Rev. Elisee Rutagambwa, SJ at the helm. The title has also changed from director to dean.
The JCAM President, Fr. José Minaku Lukoli SJ, led the Requiem Mass. In his homily, he said the face is elusive; it fades into the night and gradually disappears when someone dies. However, the shared experiences remain—the laughter and tears, the successes achieved, and the hardships and fears endured. It is like the footprints on soft cement, where even when the traveler is gone, the marks remain, telling the story of their journey.
The JCAM President, who was also Fr. Manwelo’s provincial, stated that those who met him remember an affable man, a tireless worker, an exceptional professor, and a companion who knew how to arouse in others the taste for a job well done and ignite a passion for God in others. “But those who knew him well also remember that he was sometimes a lone rider. His discretion also appears in how he has left us: He arrived in Nairobi quietly, and just as we learned he was here, he was already saying his grand farewell,” Fr. Minaku emotionally expressed, adding that Father Manwelo was part of God’s greater plan. His life, kindness, and love responded to God’s call.
“We hope Fr. Manwelo is now accepted into God’s eternal embrace. This is not the end of the story. As a proverb from the Akan people of Ghana states: When the great tree falls, the birds find another place to sing. This reflects the reality that while a person’s physical presence is lost, their influence and legacy endure. Mark 9:38-40 teaches us that a person’s worth is not confined to their visible affiliation but is found in the good they have done and the lives they have touched,” Fr. Minaku said.
Fr. Manwelo was born in Kikwit (Kwitu, DRC) on May 23, 1960. He entered the Society of Jesus on September 17, 1980, and was ordained a priest on July 18, 1993. He took his final vows on January 1, 2006.
Fr. Manwelo was missioned in Madagascar, where he taught at the Magis University School of Philosophy and School of Agriculture and Engineering for the last two years. According to Rev Fr. Rabeson Jocelyn, SJ, the Provincial of Madagascar, who was also present during the requiem Mass, he met with the late Father Manwelo in mid-January when he went to visit his community, the Jesuit community of the school of philosophy.
“As the Jesuits know, when you visit the community, you have to meet each one of the members in what we call the manifestation of conscience. So I met Father Manwelo, and there was no question of health during our conversation; he was okay,” Fr. Jocelyn disclosed, adding that at the beginning of February, he was informed that Fr. Manwelo had been taken ill and was being treated at their Jesuits infirmary.
“They took care of him, and at the end of the week, he said he was okay and wanted to go back to the school to teach. So he returned to school and taught, and after that class, he felt very tired. So they took him to the hospital, where all the necessary tests were done, and he was given medicines.”
When Fr. Jocelyn returned from the visitation, the director told him he might need to see Father Manwelo. But before he did, he talked to his Provincial and said that depending on his conversation with Father Manwelo, they would decide what could be done better.
“So I met Father Manwelo, and as usual, he always smiled and said I’m okay, but I proposed to him that we could send him to Nairobi for a better treatment because there is a medical doctor in Nairobi who is very good and is familiar with him and had taken care of him before. Then he said that’s a good idea, and asked to go as soon as possible,” Fr. Jocelyn recounted.
They made arrangements for him, and on Thursday, February 20, Fr. Manwelo arrived in Nairobi and was immediately admitted to Coptic Hospital. Unfortunately, he returned to the Lord early on Saturday, February 22.
May his Soul rest in eternal peace.
By Pamela Adinda, HUC Communications Coordinator