I receive a Mill Hill newsletter almost every day, and in a recent one was an article about the retirement of Gerry Kraakman, whom I met on many occasions, and whose church I visited.
He is 81 years old and arrived in Kenya the same time as us, autumn 1968, just four months after his ordination in Holland. He was praised for the number of Christians he baptized in the parishes in which he served, all in western Kenya, and for the development of parishes and through the construction of new buildings, including a wonderful light and airy church at Nanga.
According
to Fr. Joseph Oduor the Dean of Kisumu Deanery where Fr. Kraakman has
been serving, the Dutch priest has become part and parcel of
the people of Kisumu for his love to embrace the luo language. He said “Fr.
Kraakman preaches so well in the local language, that this has led to
the spiritual development of the people.”
Fr. Kraakman will continue assisting in the Parish of Nanga where he has been serving and at the same time assist in any parish that requests help within the deanery for some time before he returns to his native land.
Added later:-
Looking through my Kenya diary of my visit to Kisumu in 2017, I see on Sunday 19th March, I have written: "Gerry Kraakman had his place at Nanga burgled last night; his night watchman was murdered, I don't know yet what was stolen (just his fridge). He seems to live a very frugal life; no TV, etc. - and no security lights or fence ..."
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