Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Family, Nairobi, Kenya

In the historic year of 1904, the foundation was laid for an enduring institution that would serve as a spiritual cornerstone for generations to come. The congregation responsible for the establishment was none other than the Holy Ghost Fathers, a dedicated group with a profound commitment to missionary work. Under the guidance of the Holy Ghost Missionary, Brother Josaphat, C.S.S.P, the initial seeds of this religious sanctuary were sown, marking the inception of a sacred journey.

The sacred compound saw the rise of its first stone church structure in 1904, a testament to the labor and devotion poured into its construction. Located strategically near the corner adjacent to the City Hall Way-Parliament Road junction, this church structure became a physical manifestation of faith, standing as a beacon of spiritual solace for the surrounding community. As the inaugural administrator, Brother Josaphat, C.S.S.P, laid the groundwork for a place that would not only stand as a place of worship but also serve as a symbol of unity and divine connection for all who sought refuge within its hallowed walls.

The Holy Family Minor Basilica Parish is the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Nairobi. The history of Holy Family Basilica dates back to 1899 when the city of Nairobi was first established. The city was established by the colonial authorities in British East Africa, as a rail depot on the Kenya-Uganda Railway. It is therefore believed that Catholic railway workers needed a place to worship necessitating the establishment of a church in the city-near the railway station. Consequently, in 1904, the Holy Family was built.

It was established by the Holy Ghost Missionaries (now also known as the Spiritan Fathers). This first church was built under the administration of Brother Josaphat, C.S.S.P (Holy Ghost Missionary) who had been entrusted with the building of the church.

The idea to construct the current Church was driven by two main needs; first to build a church that could cater for the increasing number of worshipers. And second, to build a cathedral for the Archdiocese of Nairobi to serve as the Archbishop’s seat. Remember on 25 March 1953 the Archdiocese of Nairobi was promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nairobi.

The foundation stone for the current church as it stands was officially laid on 29 June 1960 by the First Archbishop of Archdiocese of Nairobi, John Joseph ‘J. J’.  McCarthy,  during the Feast of Saints Peter & Paul. The construction was completed in 1963. The new church was blessed and officially opened on Saturday 6 July 1963. Construction of phase one, which comprised of the concrete shell and the roof commenced in July 1960 and cost £75,000. The initial phase one cost had been estimated to be £60,000 and was completed in October 1961.

It consisted of the skeleton, i.e. the building, walls, and roof. The structure of the current church was constructed by a British firm, Mowlem construction International while the architectural work was designed by Mrs. Dorothy Hughes of Hughes & Polkinghorne Architects. The aerial view shows that the Cathedral is designed in the shape of across.

However, before the laying of the foundation stone, plans to build it had started in 1943. A church document reports, ‘‘in 1943, the Parishioners formed the Holy Family Cathedral Building Committee’’ From 1943s to 1950s, the parishioners worked hard and rewardingly in collecting funds for the construction of the church. The same document reports that; ‘‘these people were driven by the following words, ‘people need a church here’’, it must be a big church’’ ‘‘let us build a Cathedral’’.

The funds mobilization was interrupted during the fight for independence. A church states ‘‘when the state of emergency was declared on 20th October, 1952 by Governor Evelyn Baring, poverty and other needs for money more immediate than the Cathedral arose, hence the idea of building a Cathedral was shelved. But when the state of emergency was ended in January 1960, it became clear that the Cathedral must be built and nothing else would be sacrificed in its building’’ The full momentum for the construction of the Cathedral picked up in 1959 and eventually bore fruits when the foundation stone was laid on 29 June 1960. It was designated a Basilica on Monday 15 February 1982.

His Eminence James Knox (born in Bayswater, Western Australia), Fifth Archbishop of Melbourne, serving from 1967 to 1974. At the time of consecrating Holy Family Basilica, His Eminence James Knox was the president of the Pontifical Commission. Eminence James Knox raised it to the status of a Minor Basilica by virtue of a Papal Bull dated 15 February 1982 signed by His Eminence Augustine Cardinal Caseroli, secretary of state and given under the seal of Fishermen and accompanied by a letter from The Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and divine cult. The Church was designated a Basilica on 15 February 1982.