Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has (6 November 2002), accepted the renunciation of the pastoral government of the diocese of Ngong, (Kenya) presented by Bishop Colin Cameron Davies, MHM, in conformity with the Code of Canon Law, canon 401,1. On the same day the Holy Father appointed Bishop of Ngong in Kenya, Rev. Father Cornelius Schilder MHM, Provincial Superior of the Mill Hill Missionaries for Uganda and Kenya.
The new Bishop of Ngong, Rev. Cornelius Schilder, was born on 19 September 1941 in Westwoud, diocese of Haarlem, Holland. He studied in Holland and in Gt. Britain at St Joseph's College Mill Hill. He was ordained a priest on June 29, 1968. Since then he has: attended a course in preparation for missionary work at a farming school in Holland; taught at Mill Hill minor seminary at Tilburg; in Kenya held various positions in Ngong and Garissa dioceses; parish priest at Lamek and head of the Inculturation Centre for the Masai people; secretary to the Bishop of Ngong, diocesan administrator, member of the college of consultors, parish priest at Tarassa, in the district of Malindi, today a diocese; vice-regional superior of Mill Hill Missionaries in East Africa. Since 2000 Regional Superior of Mill Hill Missionaries for East Africa.
Ngong diocese created in 1976, a suffragan of Nairobi, is situated in the southern part of the country, traditionally known as Masailand land. The Mill Hill Missionaries were the first missionaries to this area. The diocese has an area of 39,847 sq. km., a population of 942,395, of whom 72,960 are Catholics, gathered in 27 parishes, looked after by 61 priests (28 diocesan and 33 religious), assisted by 72 Sisters, 50 Brothers, 18 major seminarians and 200 minors, 660 catechists. (Fides Service 25/11/2002)