Nairobi, Kenya – before sabastien saave Traveling to London on Sunday, April 26, for the marathon of which he would emerge victorious, the young athlete attended Mass at Holy Family Catholic Church, on the outskirts of Kenya’s St. Josephine Bakhita Lower Moibane Parish. Catholic Diocese of Eldoret.
After Savay, speaking to ACI Africa, EWTN News’ sister service in Africa Record win in London MarathonJulius Kemei, president of Holy Family Catholic Church, recalled the athlete praying at the end of Mass.
In an interview with ACI Africa on 29 April, Kemei talked about the marathon winner’s strong Catholic roots, his active involvement in church activities and his generosity towards church projects.
“Sebastian never misses any church service. The last time he was here, he told us that he was going to London for a competition that same day and asked us to pray for him,” Kemei said, emphasizing: “He never misses Mass. He comes to church with his whole family. Whenever he is not around, his wife and children come.”
In London, the 31-year-old Kenyan crossed the victory line in a record time of 1:59:30 – more than a minute faster than the previous record of 2:00:35, set of late. Kelvin Kiptum In 2023.
Kemei, who taught Sawe at Cheukta Primary School, where the youngster’s star began to shine through interschool and zonal competitions, said that along with his continued success in athletics, the Catholic Church in Moibane has a role model, a mentor and a great supporter of the Church’s development projects.
“He may be young, but he has already joined the ranks of the elders of our church,” Kemei said. He said Sava has always been willing to donate to church projects.
Kemei said, “Before this London Marathon he won a marathon… and he came and gave Ksh 100,000 (100,000 Kenyan shillings, about $775) to the church. Many times he offers to complete projects himself, saying that God has already blessed him so much.”
The church official spoke of the young athlete’s strong Catholic upbringing, with his entire family being pillars of the newly established parish.
“The four families are the pillars of our new parish – Sebastian is one of them,” Kemei said. “When Bishop Dominic Kimengich made us a parish before he was appointed Archbishop of Mombasa, we were worried about resources. But each member of Sebastian’s family donated something to our church.”
Savay’s most recent donation to Holy Family Catholic Church was a large flock of sheep, which is helping to fund the construction of a new church to accommodate the parish’s growing numbers.
Sebastian’s grandmother also donated a cow to the church before dying in 2022, while her grandson found his way into the world of athletics in Spain.
Kemei agreed with media reports that Save Has promised After winning a major victory in London he returns home to complete the construction of his church.
“After the national reception in Nairobi, I know he will want to go straight home, and the church is one of the first places he will want to go. And he would like to know how he can help complete its construction.”
While attending Cheukta Primary School, Kemei said that Savay never saw him as an exceptional child until upper primary school, when he started participating in cross-country competitions and regional competitions, where he performed really well.
Kemei said, “I remember him as a very shy student. I saw his talent and nurtured it.” “But it was only after he transferred to high school that his star began to shine brighter.”
He said that Savay comes from a family of athletes. “His grandfather was a marathon runner. His uncle also competed in athletics all the way to Uganda. And his mother was also a runner, who saw him at Kasarani Stadium,” he said.
Sawe shows youth that with commitment and a strong faith in God, everything is possible, Kemei said. “Many young people in our parish have begun to turn to him for counseling. He is a great resource for our church.”
this story was first published Produced by ACI Africa, EWTN News’ sister service in Africa, and adapted by EWTN News.
