St. Joseph and Mary Parish humble beginning dates back to 1978, 40 years ago. Parish Priest Fr. Fullen of Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Church (O.L.V.) Makadara used to offer out station Mass on Fridays at Maida Hall ShauriMoyo, for Christians leaving within the eastern part of Shauri Moyo estate, Ministry of works (MOW) and surrounding private company estates such as B.A.T., Unga, Maida, Kenya Bus, Kenya Breweries among others. During this period, a young assistant Choir Master at O.L.V. of about 24years old Crispin Okumu Kodi started an out-station Choir to practice and serve in the Mass at the Maida Hall.
The Choir was later to be thrown out of the venue by the hall administrator who claimed that residents of different Christian sects were complaining as to why the hall was predominantly used by the Catholic Church.
Crispin, with the help of some elderly Christians approached a Catholic School teacher at Islamia Primary School (late Mr. Joseph Ombam) who was staying with his family at Our Lady of Mercy Primary School, to allow the youth Choir to practice religious songs in front of his house. He permitted the choir to practice at his doorsteps. The youth choir was composed of young boys and girls from catholic faith families including his own. The eldest among the youth was Nicholas Omondi at about 13years old. Nicholas Omondi grew to be the longest serving Choir Master, Music composer in this church (St. Joseph and Mary) and rose to be one of the outstanding music leaders in the Catholic Church nationally. Currently,we have 3 choirs:St.Cecilia,St.Don Bosco and St.Joseph Choirs that serve the three masses that take place every Sunday.
The land where St. Joseph and Mary parish stands was a piece of land used by the community and charcoal dealers.
At that time land grabbing by politicians had already taken root, even the piece of land where the parish stands found it-self demarcated amongst grabbers. The then Nairobi mayor distributed the ShauriMoyo houses and surrounding land to politically correct individuals shortly before the 1979 general election. The first MP for Kamukunji at independence the late Thomas Joseph Mboya had earlier promised the residents that, in the fullness of time, the houses belonging to the City Council since 1938 would later revert to the individual resident tenants and that the Catholic Church and the Muslims would each be given land in Shauri Moyo to develop for spiritual and social welfare.
When the land was demarcated for grabbing (Kodi Eng.) approached Nicholas Omondi’s father to lead him, to seek help from a prayer group which used to pray in a house of a very old man (Joseph Jagowo) at MOW on every evening. They were members of St. Elizabeth Nyoluoro (Luo prayer group). Crispin Kodi and his choir members so convinced the prayer group on the land demarcated for grabbing and resolved to claim the portion that was promised by the late Thomas Joseph Mboya.
Within a week, the prayer group bought four (4) iron sheets and put up a shade structure on the ground, coincidentally at the very point where there is currently a catechism classrooms(former Grotto). With permission by a school teacher, Crispin led the youth to carry desks from Our Lady of Mercy Primary School across to the land and taught them songs under the shade structure. Some of the youth were too young to carry desk for a distance, they dropped and fell on the way several times but Crispin encouraged them till they reached the ground.
Rev. Further Fullen from OLV served the first Holly Mass on the land on Friday the same week at about 5.30pm in the year 1979. The first Altar was placed under the shade structure at the same spot where the catechism classrooms stand.
Those who were given the demarcated parcels never came back to claim any right over the land.
In early 1980 the politicians who were involved in land grabbing and lost in the elections organised political youth and targeted young Mr.Kodi for several foiled attacks in their house No.78 in ShauriMoyo, accusing him for exposing Houses and land grabbing. They later manoeuvred for his police arrest at the city centre and took him to Central Police Station where he was detained without charges and was released after about 7hrs in cell. During this period Fr. Fullen did not go back to offer mass at Maida Hall but on this land and alternated with Rev. Fr. Albert.
The struggle with land grabbers continued but their efforts were thwarted by the help of the late Mr. Boniface Mganga at State House, late Councillor Vincent Omedo for Shauri Moyo who was staying at BAT village (just opposite the land across the road) and late Kamukunji MP. Nicholas Gor, both Catholics.
This land in ShauriMoyo fell under the jurisdiction of St. Peter Clavers parish according to some Parish Council members from St. Peter who laid claims over it later. But, Our Lady of the Visitation parish was the one serving the worshippers with an out station youth Choir on the ground.
Before conflict between the 2 parishes claiming ownership of the land became public, later in 1980, His Eminence (The Blessed servant of God Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga) came for Confirmation at Our Lady of the Visitation – Makadara, when the Mass ended. He defrocked very fast and without warning left the parish compound on foot all the way to ShauriMoyo land, on the way he was joined by worshipers from ShauriMoyo, Kaloleni, Makongeni and their environs.
Using his virtue of conflict resolution, on reaching the site where the catechism classrooms stand, he asked for water, blessed the water and blessed the land, He then addressed the gathering, saying, the land was now belonging to the Roman Catholic Church under the Diocese of Nairobi and was going to be ShauriMoyo parish. He promised to bring Mill Hill Missionaries to run the parish thus ending the impending feud between St.Peter Clavers and Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Church.
In the same year, two Mill Hill Missionaries from Kisumu came to start a Parish, they were Fr. Jan Reusen(RIP 8thNovember 2011) and Fr. Mathew Hauman. Their first residence was Maria House Eastleigh near St.Teresa’sParish, they were in same (1980) joined by Fr. Augustine Van de Eeden (Guust) (RIP 27thApril 2017). The missionaries from their residence in Eastleigh set about facilitating and planting a living, vibrant church amongst their neighbouring Christians. An intensive program of home visits through Majengo, ShauriMoyo, Maida, BAT, Old Racecourse, Ziwani and Starehe bore fruits as Jumuiyas (Small Christian Communities) were formed and became human stones, which together built the spititual home. The first recorded jumuiya mass was held in the house of the chairman Mr. Francis Kago in old Racecourse. It was offered by Fr. Mathew Haumann, he was accompanied by the then Seminarian Anthony Chantry to a few jumuiya members.
The Christians were to contribute 10/= each towards the construction of a simple structure for their Sunday gathering. The number of the Christians increased and they had to congregate in a much bigger hall thus the priests had to seek for permission for the Christians to pray at the Maida (ShauriMoyo) and St. Bridgids (Racecourse) halls for Sunday mass. The Sunday Mass were celebrated for 2 Sundays in a month while the other Sundays the Christians went for Mass at Our Lady of the Visitation Makadara and St. Teresa Eastleigh.
The first catechism class was introduced in 1981. The first teachers were Angelina Mwikali, Joseph Abiero, Richard and the Late Simon in Shauri Moyo while, Elizabeth Ahenda, Maria Mwikali and Mary Okello taught in Old Racecourse.
The first Parish Council ‘‘Baraza’’ was constituted with Mr. Peter Ndung’u as its first chair. Their meetings were held in Maida and St. Bridgids Halls. The church has now built an administration block where it currently holds its meetings with Mrs. Opaka Prudence being the Moderator.
The paper work for the land formal acquisition were set rolling when jumuiya members wrote a letter signed by all of them to the then president the servant of God Cardinal Maurice Otunga who in turn wrote to retired President Daniel Toiroitich Arap Moi requesting for the parcels of land. The letter was delivered by the late Mr. Dennis Gatimu and the plots were secured officially.
The Plan for the building of the church halls was proposed in 1983. Visitors from Sancta Maria Stuttgart, Germany visited ShauriMoyo and approved the plan for building both centres. In 1984, parish partners and friends from Germany generously contributed to the construction of the two church halls. In March 1984, the Christians held a harambee to contribute all they could for the construction. In June 1984, Mill Hill house was opened and Mill Hill missionaries moved in from Eastleigh.
The two church halls were completed and the doors were opened for the Christians to use them. The mass was held on 12th August 1984, it was lively and in attendance were partners from Germany, friends and Christians from both centers. The partnership was evermore blessed in this gathering and was later to evolve to be one of the greatest friendships tat lives up to this day.
Initially it was intended that a home for the aged clergy be setup, and a hostel and chapel was constructed, which is today the Baraza Hall. However it was realised that the land was too small for that purpose and thus the project intention was changed. The first altar on this Church ground was at the place where the catechism classroom stand.
The servant of God, Cardinal Maurice Otunga blessed the church halls on 26th January 1985.