Catholic Sisters in the Legal Profession Registered Trustees (CASILEP) was officially launched on January 10, 2026, in Nairobi, marking a significant milestone in legal empowerment, advocacy, and professional networking for Catholic sisters in Kenya and the wider region.
CASILEP is a newly established network aimed at supporting women religious through access to legal resources, professional guidance, and advocacy in both canon and civil law. The initiative seeks to strengthen the sustainability of religious institutes and enhance the capacity of Catholic sisters to navigate increasingly complex legal frameworks affecting their ministries and institutions.
The launch ceremony was preceded by a solemn Holy Mass presided over by His Grace Archbishop Philip Arnold Subira Anyolo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Nairobi. During the Mass, participating sisters took an oath of service and signed pledges committing themselves to confidentiality, dedication, and the highest standards of integrity in their mission within CASILEP.
In his address, Archbishop Anyolo commended the sisters for their initiative and resilience in establishing the network, urging them to remain steadfast despite the challenges that often accompany new structures.
“I urge you to embark on continuous consultation with one another. Let us do this together. Do not be afraid to come and ask me, just as I would not be afraid to come and ask you in appreciation of your initiatives,” he said.
The Archbishop emphasized the value of shared learning and humility, noting that experience is built through discipline, collaboration, and mutual appreciation. He also encouraged openness to learning through mistakes as a pathway to growth.
Highlighting the broader vision of synodality, Archbishop Anyolo called for collaboration across different professions and ministries within the Church. “Among us we have doctors, priests, and people of other professions. When we work together, we establish a self-contained family. That is the vision of Christ, the vision of the Church, the vision of synodality, and the vision of the Holy Father,” he said.
Speaking at the event, CASILEP Director Sr. Eutropia Chao underscored the network’s purpose, describing it as a space for mutual support and deeper understanding of consecrated life. “CASILEP is here for the sake of consecrated life. We are here to help one another for the betterment of religious life, but above all, for the mission of the Church,” she said.
Sr. Agnes Njeri, Officer for the Catholic Sisters Initiative in Africa, represented the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, a key global partner supporting the leadership and work of Catholic sisters. She described CASILEP as a unique integration of professional competence and consecrated life.
“As Catholic sisters engaged in the legal discipline, your professional competence is enriched by your consecrated life. Your legal reasoning is illuminated by prayer, and your advocacy is guided by Gospel values of justice, mercy, integrity, courage, and compassion,” she said.
Sr. Agnes noted that CASILEP was registered to address persistent legal gaps affecting institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, particularly in areas such as land ownership, property disputes, government compliance, and contractual processes. She added that many religious organizations struggle to navigate Kenya’s legal frameworks effectively.
With the support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, CASILEP becomes the first network of its kind in Africa and the second globally. She noted that the Kenyan network is expected to serve as a trailblazer for similar initiatives in other countries.
The Executive Secretary of the Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya (AOSK), Sr. Pasilisia Namikoye, welcomed the establishment of CASILEP, describing it as timely and highly beneficial to congregations nationwide.
“This network has come at the right time, when congregations are yearning for legal support,” she said, affirming AOSK’s commitment to working closely with CASILEP. She cautioned sister lawyers to uphold confidentiality and professionalism, noting that they carry the reputation of Catholic sisters across Kenya while handling sensitive matters.
CASILEP Board Chair and Director of Chemichemi ya Uzima College, Sr. Luciana Wanyahoro, emphasized that justice must ultimately serve life and communion within the Church.
“CASILEP aims to be a place of counsel, guidance, and safety for sisters, religious congregations, and the Church at large,” she said. She called on the network to build bridges rather than battlegrounds, noting that justice exercised in charity fosters unity.
“Our prayer is that CASILEP will grow into a trusted resource for superiors, a safe place for sisters, and a lasting force for true justice and reconciliation in consecrated life,” she added.
The launch of CASILEP marks a new chapter in strengthening the legal capacity of Catholic sisters, enhancing their ability to serve their communities with dignity, resilience, and integrity in Kenya and beyond.