‘My hands are the voice of God’: Sr. Juliana’s mission to Kenya’s Deaf Catholics
By Sr. Christine Masivo, CPS
Sr. Juliana Muya, a missionary sister of the Precious Blood, witnessed something that would change her life one Sunday outside a parish church in Nairobi, Kenya.
A young man by the name of Paul, frustrated and misunderstood, was being teased by those around him. They mocked him, saying he had insulted them using strange gestures, but Sr. Juliana noticed something different.
“I realized he was Deaf,” she recalls. “He could not defend himself, and he walked away in pain. I thought, if only I knew sign language, I could help.”
That thought became a mission. Today, Sr. Juliana is one of the most dedicated liturgical interpreters in the Archdiocese of Nairobi, Kenya, ensuring that the Word of God reaches the Deaf community.
The world marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3. Sr. Juliana is one of countless religious sisters who serve people with disabilities through practical assistance with the deeper goal of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ.
Learning the language of hands
In 2015, her parish announced sign language classes. “I was so happy,” she says. She joined the sign-language classes at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, in Nairobi. “Every Sunday I took a bus for class. It wasn’t easy, but I persevered and it was worth every step,” she narrates.
“Sometimes I was tired and I doubted myself, but I kept going. I knew the Deaf needed someone who could walk with them in faith,” she recalls.
After years of study, practice, and mentorship, she was commissioned as a Liturgical Interpreter on the Sunday of the Word of God. “The Church was full, and the deaf community were happy to have an interpreter, and this added to my joy,” she says.
Sr. Juliana has interpreted at countless celebrations and Masses aired on the national TV Kenya Broadcasting Corporation at 9:30 a.m., aired weekly, a moment that assures that the Deaf are part of the universal Church.
Challenges along the way
Her ministry is not without obstacles. “Nobody knows what the bishop or priest will preach. Sometimes they use very high theological language, and I must quickly find a way to make it understandable in sign language,” she explains.
Music can be another hurdle. “When the choir sings in a language I don’t know, I have to tell the Deaf, I don’t understand. We laugh about it. It’s humbling, but it keeps us connected.”
Encouragement and support
Sr. Juliana is quick to highlight the support she has received. “Our Archbishop, Philip Anyolo, of the Archdiocese of Nairobi is very encouraging. He prompts and follows up on all that the deaf community is doing and offers support and encouragement whenever its needed and our yearly programs. “Many have encouraged like a number of priests whom I have participated in the interpretation during Mass, that it is worth it,” Sr. Juliana says with conviction.
Parishioners also play their part, she says. “They are so respectful. They always leave the first pew for the Deaf community. It may seem small, but for the Deaf, it means they are seen and valued.”
The heart of her mission
“I always tell myself that my hands are the voice of the living God. That gives me strength, to continue to spread the work of God to the Deaf community in my being a religious,” she says.
She attests that the faith of the Deaf community inspires her daily. Their commitment to attend Mass and the small Christian communities and other activities is encouraging. They need and want to belong to the wider Church.
This has become a third apostolate in Sr. Juliana mission to the Catholic church as a nun, she is a secretary and an accountant by profession.
A voice in silence
Looking back, Sr. Juliana marvels at how a single encounter with a misunderstood young man grew into a lifelong ministry and mission. “God used that moment to open my eyes. Today, I see the Deaf not as silent, but as full of life and faith.”
Through her hands, the Word of God has found a new voice. Through her service, the Deaf are no longer on the margins, but at the heart of the Church. Hers is a ministry that bridges silence and sound, exclusion and belonging.
“Truly,” she says softly, “the Deaf teach me more than I could ever teach them. They remind me that God speaks in many ways and sometimes, His loudest voice is in silence.”
Paul the young man who motivated sr. Juliana to learn the sign language is grateful that she is there to interpret. Paul is now a catechist and helps to catechise the deaf community and this year the parish welcomed one deaf member to the family of the Church.
He aspires to join priesthood and is learning Spanish as he prepares to go to Spain to join the community of Deaf Priests, and Sr. Juliana has been a great help as he helps him to prepare for his journey to priesthood and communicating the sign language wherever he needs.
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here
