Miss Catherine Kanini Musyimi, Systems Administrator, I.C.T. Department passed away suddenly  on the  night  of  25 March 2007.  During a requiem Mass for the repose of her soul at the university chapel on Tuesday, 27th March 2007, Fr Paul Mimbi, the university chaplain paid tribute to Catherine's christian pragmatism.

Commenting on the Gospel of the day: "When you have lifted the Son of Man [Jesus was referring to his Passion, Death on the Cross and Resurrection – the saving actions of Christ], then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing of myself (…) for I always do what pleases him" (John 8: 21-30), Fr Paul said that doing God's will always entails an encounter with the Cross, some kind of 'going against the grain' on our part.   

As a matter of fact the cross is the meeting point between God's will and our individual wills.  Accepting the Cross is saying 'yes' to his will like Jesus at Gethsemane: "doing what pleases him" (ibid.).   

Now, this 'doing' God's will at the work place, in the family, in our prayer life is what characterizes Christian Pragmatism. Hence, Christ's admonition: Not those who say Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of heaven but those who do the will of my Father.

"Catherine had a very practical approach to life. Whenever she was called upon to solve a problem with the personal computers in the offices (which was her work), she would respond promptly. On arrival, she would sit front of the computer and sort out the problem within no time. She was efficient and effective," Fr Paul observed.

"Perhaps at the beginning of this Lent we enthusiastically resolved to give up smoking, or go to confession a little more frequently, or live the heroic minute by waking up at a fixed time…" he challenged the congregation. "Have we done anything to this effect or were those just nice desires? Do we regularly carry out some kind of progress review of our resolutions?  This is what I mean by Christian Pragmatism.  Only thus will we be effective with the effectiveness of the Cross.  Only thus will we be able to change the world. We perhaps think that Catherine left our world rather too soon… May be by the time she died she had already completed what she was sent to do because she wasted no time in wishful thinking… she just did."  Pathways marked by the Cross are the 'shortcuts' to sanctity.  Let us emulate her pragmatism.

Catherine will be buried at her rural home in Mwingi district on Saturday, 31st March 2007. Please pray for the repose of her soul and the strength for her family during this trying period.