8 questions for Monsignor John Mbinda
Monsignor John Mbinda, 68, was born and raised in Machakos, Kenya, an hour southeast of Nairobi. He has two brothers and two sisters, and of those, one brother and one sister now live in Atlanta. Monsignor Mbinda went to St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Nairobi and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Machakos on Dec. 14, 1968, at Nairobi’s Holy Family Basilica. He made his way to Hawaii in February 2007 and has since served at St. Michael Parish in Kailua-Kona, St. Joseph Parish in Hilo, and St. Jude Parish in Kapolei, the last of which he has been at since July.
1. What is your hidden talent?
Languages. I speak English, Italian and French, plus my two African languages, Kiswahili and Kikamba. I also have a reading ability of Latin.
2. What is your favorite food?
Polenta from the Veneto region with a fish-based source and cod fish, because it has such a wonderful taste for me. I had this dish every year on Good Friday while in Verona, Italy, while at a parish there. Of course the dish is even better with a glass of wine from the region.
3. What is your favorite movie?
All the Indiana Jones movies including 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” I love action movies. Plus Harrison Ford with his team of actors keeps you wired and waiting for the next move all the way until the end of the film.
4. Who is your favorite saint?
St. Hippolytus of Rome (170-236 A.D.). For me he is a good example of how God’s grace can transform one’s pride and cynicism into a humble, saintly life. Hippolytus was so proud that he even criticized the Pope publicly, but later reformed his life and was martyred in Rome.
5. What music do you like?
Mostly classical music like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann and Vivaldi. Classical music creates a relaxing atmosphere for me when I’m working at my computer or just resting.
6. Where is the one place you have never been but always wanted to visit?
The People’s Republic of China. I have been to South China (Hong Kong) three times.
7. What book are you reading now, and what do you think of it so far?
“Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis. This is my second time reading the book, and each time I’ve found Lewis very creative in his understanding of theological concepts and the way he interprets faith in a very practical way. His defense of Christianity is important, particularly in today’s secular society where moral issues are easily questioned or even played down.
8. Who in this world would you most like to meet?
President Obama because his father was from my country, Kenya.
Bonus:
As a hobby, Monsignor Mbinda enjoys web authoring and blogging. He owns three websites and two blogs: The Catholic Church in Africa (www.rc.net/africa/catholicafrica); Internet Window on Africa (www.inwindow.org);
The Akamba of Kenya (www.machakos.org);
Catholic Sunday Homily Ideas (sundayhomilyideas.blogspot.com); and the Kiswahili language version of that blog (mahubirijumapili.blogspot.com).