Matasia Parish

In the 1960’s Matasia was a small village, set up during the Mau Mau era. The community within Matasia, comprised of all non Maasai’s (Kikuyu and Kamba communities) in the Ngong area, who were forced to live within a cluster of houses surrounded by barbed wires to protect them at night from the Mau Mau freedom fighters.

This was the argument given by the British Colonial government for keeping communities in protected camps. However, the communities in these camps knew too well that the reason for keeping them in these camps was a means to deny the Mau Mau freedom fighters from getting any help or hospitality from the local population. Such villages also existed in Kiserian and in Oloolua. After emergency the people left those villages, except in Ngong where people settled permanently and now formed the Kijiji (Gichagi) on the hill above the Bishop’s House. In Matasia, the communities settled and began a small shopping Centre (Matasia Shopping Center), a P.C.E.A church and a primary school for their children. 

FEAST DAY: 11 JUNE

MASS SCHEDULE

ST. BARNABAS PARISH CHURCH

Sundays:

ST. JOACHIM & ANN

Sundays

Over the years, the wish of the communities living within Matasia was granted and Matasia Catholic church became an out station of Ngong Parish, under Fr. Sabas Mroso. The first chairman of the church council was the late Andrew Mungai followed by Mr. Davis Runye, followed by the late Mr. Joseph Gaitho.

In June 1983 the plot for the church was bought by the Christian community with the help of Bishop Colin Davies at a cost of Ksh 94,000. The Christian community agreed that each family was to contribute Ksh 250 while the Bishop agreed to contribute five shillings for each shilling contributed by Christians. This was a great motivation on the part of the Bishop. Once the plot was bought, mass was being conducted under a tree within the newly acquired plot, it was only later that the Christians planned and contributed towards the construction of a permanent church at the newly acquired plot. The Christians dug foundation trenches through voluntary labour and drew water for the construction of the concrete foundation and slab. Brother Henry (MHM) built a reasonably large and simple church and a later constructed a catechist’s house in the same compound.

The construction of the first permanent church (St Barnabas Catholic Church) was completed in 1986. It was blessed and opened by Bishop Colin C. Davis the same year. Over the next twenty years the number of Christians grew from twenty to about five hundred worshippers and as a result the capacity of the church was inadequate to accommodate the increased number of Christians. In addition, the wall structures became weak, with cracks stretching on the walls due to the weak foundation which was constructed on unstable cotton soil. The Church building became unstable, dangerous, unsafe and yet difficult to repair. The access road leading to the Church was also becoming too narrow as developments spread around the areas yet any attempts to buy additional land along the road from neighbours was not successful.

In 1999, the Church leadership in preparation for a future Parish approached the Bishop with a view to purchase an alternative plot with better access to relocate the Church and were very fortunate to identify two acres, which was available next to the Ngong-Kiserian tarmac road on the west side of Matasia shopping center. Unfortunately, the land was very expensive, at over Ksh.1 million per an acre. However, there was very little choice and the church had to make every effort to purchase the land to cater for the ever-increasing Christian community. Upon approaching the Bishop of Ngong about the proposal to buy the piece of land, the Bishop approved and assisted the Christians to purchase the additional two-acre plot at a cost of Ksh. 2.3 million on which the current church and other facilities are built to date. 

The estimated cost of the above projects when completed and fully equipped was estimated to cost Ksh 24 million. Meanwhile, being very thorough, Fr. Hannon had the two acres of the new plot bull-dozed to remove the black cotton soil, which was about 4’’ to 6’’ deep, in order to construct the church on a solid foundation. On the lower side of the plot he filled it with soil and the plan was to construct the church, community hall, facilities and a mission house, the priest residence.

During this period, the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Moyo mtakatifu wa Yesu) Upper Matasia outstation was transferred from Kiserian parish to Matasia Catholic Parish. It was also the same time when additional Small Christian Communities were curved from the existing Jumuiya’s. Fr. John Hannon also initiated a development committee which helped the church council in planning and executing the development projects, although he actualized most of the ideas.

Fr. Hannon received generous support from the Christians in Matasia. The parish council was very supportive and it collected a substantial amount of money to begin the construction of the new church. The construction of the church projects received a subsidy from Rome courtesy of Fr. John which helped to pay for the roofing costs. Fr. Hannon found all sorts of help from his family, friends and support from the Christians. The local Christians contributed about sixty percent of the total cost of the projects while the parish priest Fr. John Hannon through his initiative raised the balance from his friends and well-wishers.

In August 2003, the Parish Priest and the church leaders decided to move to the partially completed church building. The Christians of Matasia are forever grateful to Fr. John Hannon for planting a seed of selfless giving and spiritual growth in the Parish. Fr. John Hannon, did not choose the easy option of retiring in Ireland as he could have done that, considering his age and his health but he chose to come to Matasia and maybe devote his last missionary work. He did a great job. Certainly, with a tremendous increase of population in that area, the opening of the new Parish in Matasia has been a real God- send to many people and to the Diocese. 

Apart from the structural / physical developments noted above, the Parish has grown and developed spiritually. We now have two Masses on Sunday i.e. English and Kiswahili Mass as well as daily celebration of Mass in the adoration chapel. We have many devotional groups and associations which help in strengthening the faith of the Christians. Among the most active are the Catholic Men’s Association (C.M.A), Catholic Women’s Association (C.W.A), Young Christian Workers (Y.C.W), Youth, Pontifical Missionary Children (P.M.C), Charismatic Renewal and we are in the process of forming a Liturgical group, Legion of Mary, etc.