Campaign by Story
Divine Mercy Hospital - Ndalani, Kenya
Overview
“Ndalani, Kenya, lies 150 miles east of Nairobi, in the bush. God reached down his hand and inspired Sister Stephen Kiluu to consecrate her life with the Little Sisters of the Poor. In 2020, Sister Stephen was sent to the Holy Family Residence of the Little Sisters in St. Paul, Minnesota. There she met my mother, Anna, in the final years of her life. Sister Stephen, with her light-hearted sense of humor, forged by long years of suffering and dedication, knew how to treat Mom. Mom left this world on the eve of All Saints Day in 2023.
Sister Stephen revealed to me that she had lost her own mother and brother on the ninety-mile journey to the nearest hospital to Ndalani. This ignited in Sister Stephen’s heart a burning desire to build a hospital for her people.
Sister Stephen wanted it to be called ‘Divine Mercy Hospital’, after the Movement started by Saint Faustina Kowalska of Poland, and given to the universal Church by Saint John Paul II. It is also the name of the graduate school in psychology where I teach: ‘Divine Mercy University.’”
--Father Walter Schu, LC
Father Walter Schu, LC is a well-respected priest and academic leader at Divine Mercy University, with a deeply personal commitment to bringing healthcare to the impoverished and remote villages of Southeastern Kenya. With the ground already having been broken on the new hospital and with the full backing of the Diocese of Machakos, under the Archdiocese of Nairobi, Sister Stephen’s dream now lies within our reach. By providing access to modern, safe, and Catholic healthcare, we have the power to transform thousands of lives.
Hospital Goals
Living in Western nations, with immediate access to modern medicine, it is difficult for us to imagine the full extent of what such a hospital can accomplish for people who previously have had limited access to care. The following represent the essential departments of Divine Mercy Hospital.
Family Medicine and Pediatric Care
The Family Medicine and Pediatric Care Department of Divine Mercy Hospital will become a vital expression of Christ’s healing ministry, providing compassionate, life-giving care to children, parents, and entire families throughout the region. Rooted in the dignity of every human person and the Church’s commitment to the sanctity of life, this department will accompany families through every stage of life, from the care of newborns and children to the treatment of chronic illnesses and preventive health needs for adults. By offering accessible medical care close to home, Divine Mercy Hospital will reduce suffering, strengthen family life, and ensure that the most vulnerable receive the attention and compassion they deserve.
Maternity Ward and Infant Nursery
The Maternity Ward and Infant Nursery of Divine Mercy Hospital will serve as a dignified place where new life is welcomed and protected, affirming the Church’s unwavering commitment to the dignity and sanctity of every human person from conception until natural death. Mothers will receive compassionate prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care, while newborns will be given the specialized attention necessary to thrive during the earliest and most vulnerable days of life. In a region where access to safe maternal and infant care is often limited, this department will help reduce preventable deaths, strengthen families, and ensure that every mother and child is accompanied with the love and mercy of Christ.
Inpatient and Outpatient Unit
The Inpatient and Outpatient Unit at Divine Mercy Hospital will extend Christ’s healing presence to those suffering from illness, injury, and chronic disease, providing both ongoing medical care and treatment for acute conditions. Patients requiring hospitalization will receive attentive and compassionate care in a dignified environment, while outpatient services will make essential medical consultations and treatments accessible to families throughout the region. This department will enable countless individuals to receive timely care close to home, reducing unnecessary suffering and restoring health within the community.
Laboratory and Pharmacy
The Laboratory and Pharmacy at Divine Mercy Hospital will provide the essential foundation for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, ensuring that patients receive timely and appropriate care. The laboratory will enable physicians to identify illnesses with greater precision, while the pharmacy will make life-saving medications available to families who might otherwise lack access to them. Together, these services will strengthen the hospital’s ability to care for the sick and alleviate suffering in accordance with the healing ministry of the Church.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel
At the heart of Divine Mercy Hospital will stand the planned Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel, a visible reminder that authentic healing embraces both the body and the soul. As the Patroness of the Unborn and the Star of the New Evangelization, Our Lady of Guadalupe will inspire the hospital's mission to uphold the dignity of every human life while proclaiming the Gospel through works of mercy. The chapel will provide a sacred place where patients, families, and healthcare workers can gather for prayer, the celebration of the Holy Mass, the Sacraments, Eucharistic Adoration, and spiritual counseling. Through the compassionate witness of Catholic physicians, religious sisters, chaplains, and staff, Divine Mercy Hospital will become not only a center of medical excellence but also a place of evangelization where countless individuals encounter the healing love of Christ and the hope of the Gospel during life's most vulnerable moments.
Conclusions
Outside of the immediate benefits of lifesaving care, completing Divine Mercy Hospital presents multiple opportunities to stand for our faith in a highly efficient and cost-effective way, maximizing the potential of existing investments while paving a sustainable path to the future. Help us realize Sister Stephen’s Dream.
Taking a Stand for Pro-Life Values
There is deep concern that many large international NGOs and United Nations affiliated programs promote abortion and artificial contraceptives as central components of maternal health strategy in Africa, advancing solutions that directly contradict the sanctity of human life. Rather than addressing the root causes of maternal mortality, such as inadequate medical training, lack of equipment, and fragile healthcare systems, these organizations unfortunately prioritize the expansion of abortion access, effectively treating the loss of unborn life as an acceptable response to poverty.
In contrast, the Divine Mercy Hospital will stand as a clear and courageous witness to a different path. Grounded in Catholic teaching, this new hospital rejects abortion entirely and instead confronts the true causes of maternal and infant deaths by providing skilled prenatal care, safe deliveries, and life-saving interventions for complications like hemorrhage, preeclampsia, infection, and birth asphyxia. By equipping healthcare workers with the training and tools needed to save both mother and child, we can demonstrate that authentic, ethical care never requires the taking of innocent life, and that real compassion means protecting and serving both the life of mother and child, who possess equal dignity.
Building Upon a Foundation Already Laid
The Divine Mercy Hospital project represents an extraordinary opportunity to maximize investments that have already been made through the generosity and sacrifices of earlier benefactors. Years of planning, consultation, and preparation have brought the project beyond the conceptual stage and into active construction, ensuring that new contributions immediately advance tangible progress rather than administrative preparation. The environmental impact assessment has been completed, all required building permits and governmental approvals have been secured, and the necessary city authorizations have been obtained. Supplier selection and contractor procurement have likewise been finalized, allowing the project to move forward efficiently and without the delays that often accompany major construction initiatives.
Most importantly, the ground has already been broken, demonstrating both the commitment of the local Catholic community and the confidence of the donors who have helped bring the project to this point. Their generosity has laid the foundation upon which future benefactors can now build. Rather than funding studies, approvals, or preliminary planning, new gifts will directly advance the construction and completion of a hospital that is already becoming a reality. This unique moment allows donors to multiply the impact of previous investments and participate in a work of mercy that has been carefully prepared, responsibly managed, and positioned to begin serving the people of rural Kenya as quickly as possible.
Building Mercy Through Wise Stewardship
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Divine Mercy Hospital project is the extraordinary value that can be achieved through construction in rural Kenya. In many parts of the Western world, the cost of constructing and equipping even a modest medical facility can easily reach tens of millions of dollars due to high labor costs, complex regulatory requirements, and administrative expenses. By contrast, the proposed investment of just $1,500,000 will make possible the construction and equipping of an entire Catholic hospital that includes family medicine, pediatric care, maternal services, inpatient and outpatient treatment, laboratory services, pharmacy facilities, and essential medical infrastructure. The generosity of donors is therefore multiplied many times over, allowing relatively modest gifts to create a lasting and transformative impact for thousands of families.
This project demonstrates the principle of faithful stewardship by ensuring that every dollar entrusted to the mission is used with exceptional efficiency. Local construction methods, locally sourced materials, and the dedication of the Catholic community make it possible to build a durable and functional hospital at a fraction of Western costs while maintaining high standards of care and quality. For less than the cost of a single residential home or a small medical addition in many American communities, Divine Mercy Hospital will become a permanent ministry of healing, extending the compassionate care of Christ to an entire region of rural Kenya. The result is an extraordinary opportunity for donors to participate in a work of mercy whose impact will endure for generations.