Kathryn Hauwa Hoomkwap: The Journey of a Soul?
Author: Father Charles A. Imokhai | Date: 3/22/08
With these brief remarks, I attempt to do the impossible, namely, pay a befitting tribute to Mrs. Kathryn Hauwa Hoomkwap, a legendary and extraordinary woman, popularly known as Kate.
I was at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria in Lagos when I met Kate for the first time in Decenber,1976. Msgr. Alphonsus Obine, the Secretary General of CSN, introduced Kate to me as the Apostle of Women Affairs. On that occasion, Kate, the globe trotting ambassador for the Catholic Women Organization,was on her way to India. As the ambassador of CWO, she travelled the continents of Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe from 1971 to 2008.In this capacity, she compared favorably with Princess Diana and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.
Kate was a striking ebony beauty, erudite, eloquent and intelligent. She had a profound, speculative mind and a simplicity and humility that belied the breadth of her wisdom.Kate was a spiritual powerhouse. Her day began with two hours of prayer, scripture reading and meditation. It ended with the recitation of the 15 decades of the Rosary. Her faith was rock solid. Love was the power that made her invincible and hope made her one of the most inspiring women of her time.
Kate married George Hoomkwap in 1970. Like Hannah, the mother of the Prophet Samuel, Kate fasted and prayed for seven years before her first child, Kekuut, was born. Three more children followed; Rangtiem, Nanzem and Kwaphoom. Kate dedicated all her children to God and to the Church.
Not only did Kate love and care for her own children. In addition, she was a mother figure for all the priests of the dioceses in which she served.Indeed, her motherly concerns extended as far as the Holy See in Rome and Pope John Paul II, himself gave her the title, Mother Africa.
In the world of politics, Kate served the Plateau State with merit as the Commissioner of Health. Her experience and networking helped her on the board of the Christian Health Association of Nigeria. She was also the author of a political manifesto for Catholics in politics and public office.
Despite her prominence in the ecclesiastical, political and business arenas,Kate Hoomkwap was first and foremost a wife and mother. The dedication with which she embraced her family will forever be her legacy. George, Kekuut, Rangtiem, Nanzem and Kwaphoom are her living tributes and when we look at them we will forever be warmed and nourished by the person who was Kate!
May her soul rest in perfect peace!
POVERTY AND THE FAMILY IN THE THIRD WORLD
The family remains the basic unit of society in the world today. In its modern meaning, the family is that social unit comprising a man, his wife and their children. In most sub-Saharan African countries, the extended family, which is a more inclusive definition of the family, includes uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents and other distant relations. This paper has deliberately chosen to make the family its center-piece for a number of reasons.
Excerpt from: A/S-23/1 8
The Holy See delegation has participated actively in the negotiations leading to this special session of the General Assembly, a session which has raised issues of critical importance to the lives of millions of women worldwide, and which has been evaluating the progress that has been made since the Fourth World Conference on Women.
