Graiff, Luigi

Luigi Graiff was born at Romeno in the province of Trento, Italy, on October 1, 1921. In 1934 he began his secondary studies in the Consolata houses of formation and completed his philosophical and theological training in the IMC (Consolata Missionaries) Major Seminary in Turin. He was ordained a priest on December 8, 1949. After some months of ministry in Italy he was sent to Kenya where he worked in the diocese of Nyeri until 1963, when he began his pioneering work at Archer’s Post and Laisamis, among the Samburu and the Rendille. For about twelve years he was in charge of the mission of Laisamis, where he built the church, the hospital, and the boarding primary school. He was then called to work in the Catholic Mission of South Horr, where he spent the last years of his missionary life. He was killed by bandits on January 11, 1981, while he was going to perform his pastoral duties in the out-station of Parkati. He was buried at Maralal.

This article, received in 2005, was reprinted with permission from* Christianity among the Nomads: The Catholic Church in Northern Kenya*, by Paul Tablino, © copyright 2004 by St. Paul Communications / Daughters of St. Paul, Nairobi, Kenya.