Kenyan Spiritan ordained priest after 19 years as deacon

After nearly two decades of service as a Deacon, Rev. Isaac Omwansa has been ordained a Catholic priest, marking the end of what could be described as a long and faith-filled journey.

Ordained on Saturday, June 28, at the Holy Ghost Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Mombasa, the Kenyan-born Spiritan described his priestly ordination as “one of the greatest joys” of his life.

“It’s a long time, yes, but I knew what I wanted. I knew that God had called me for this vocation. Prayer was my strength,” Fr. Omwansa told ACI Africa shortly after the ceremony.

Born in Nairobi and raised in Mombasa, where he once served as an altar boy, Fr. Omwansa began his religious formation in 1999 and was ordained a Deacon in 2006. Despite the 19-year delay before his priestly ordination, he remained faithful to his calling, leaning on prayer and patience.

“Actually, the only thing I say is prayer, and the fact that you have faith and you believe that God has a purpose for you… He’ll always be communicating to you,” he said.

Throughout the years, he often turned to God in quiet moments: “I kept on praying to God, ‘Enlighten me; where am I going, show me.’ And He kept on guiding me all the time.”

Now 56, Fr. Omwansa plans to begin his ministry in the Spiritan Province of Tanzania, working with young people, the poor, and those often forgotten by society. His time in the diaconate included close work with the youth—a mission he holds dear.

“There’s a lot of noise surrounding us today. But take time to be quiet. Listen to what God is talking to you about,” he advised. “If God calls you for a purpose, if you take another direction, it will never work.”

Fr. Omwansa paid tribute to the late Fr. James Delaney, a Spiritan missionary who influenced his early years and helped shape his vocation. “He guided us as children,” he recalled.

Though he chose not to disclose the circumstances behind the delay in his ordination, he maintained that the truth sustained him. “I said, as long as the truth is on your side, you must be patient and wait. Your time will come. And so today now it has culminated.”

Grateful and grounded, Fr. Omwansa ended with a word of thanks: “I really want to thank all those who accompanied me on this journey.”