Priest finds a home at St. Joseph's

SANDPOINT — Before he arrived in the U.S., Catholic priest John Gadhungu’s impression of American culture was largely shaped by television.

Thanks to the worldwide saturation of American television and movies, he and his fellow Kenyans identified the country as an urban culture driven by self-obsession and commercialism.

“Because of television, we identified America by its cities or by the people on the commercials saying, ‘Oh, I lost so many pounds,’ ” Gadhungu said. 

It wasn’t until arriving in Idaho two years ago that Gadhungu discovered another side of America.

“It is actually being here among all the people that has given me my best experiences,” Gadhungu said. “Everyone is so warm and receiving. They made me feel completely at home in only a few days.”

After leaving Kenya for a brief stay in New York City, Gadhungu’s superiors assigned him to Idaho. He served at the diocese in Boise for just over a year and a half.

“Since the church is universal, there is communication between church leaders of all different countries,” Gadhungu said. “They send us wherever there is a need. That was how it was determined that I should go to Idaho.”

When Dennis Day, pastor of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, decided to take a sabbatical, the Boise diocese sent Gadhungu to fill his place. Although his job is to teach and minister to the congregation in Sandpoint, however, Gadhungu said he’s learning from residents as much as he is teaching them.

“Skills that to many people here are simply a hobby to produce items of decorative value could be a livelihood for people back home, so I’ve been working to learn some of these things,” he said. “When I have the opportunity to learn something new, it’s like I’m learning it on their behalf.”

With that goal in mind, Gadhungu has been picking up crafting skills like weaving from his congregation. He also spends time taking Internet courses and studying on his computer.

“Every time I see him, he’s here in his office working away on his computer,” church member Maria Walden said.

But it’s not all hard labor for the visiting priest. At the beginning of the month, Gadhungu went with Walden and other church members to see the Eugene Ballet’s Sandpoint performance of “The Nutcracker.”

“The performance was very beautiful and flowed like a movie,” he said. “It seemed to me that the time passed very quickly.”

Experiences like the ballet are the memories that will define his trip in America when he’s back in Kenya. But Gadhungu hopes to return to his hometown of Nyahururu with more than good stories. He intends to guide his people not only toward God but also to better living. For example, while he appreciates the Western doctors that visit Kenyan towns to treat the sick, he finds more value in stopping illnesses before they start.

“We need to encourage nutrition and healthy ways of living,” he said. “Helping people lead a healthy lifestyle will prevent those diseases in the first place.”

Gadhungu intends to enhance his service in four ways upon returning to Kenya. First, he intends to bring back skills that will encourage productivity through personal creativity. He also intends to encourage learning by returning with many books. His increased knowledge of new and reliable tools will help improve quality of life, while finally, his studies and experiences will allow him to offer enhanced spiritual nourishment.

“A priest in Kenya fills many more roles beyond being a spiritual leader,” he said.

Despite the need to plan for the future, Gadhungu is focused on making the most of the present. And that effort is encompassed in his fellowship with the people of Sandpoint.

“It’s been my pleasure to spend two years in a beautiful state full of decent people,” he said. “This is the real American experience.”