On 5 November 2022 the Hekima Jesuit Community, in Nairobi, Kenya held a conferment of ministries of the theologians.

The first-year students were instituted into the ministry of Lectorship and the second-year students into that of Acolytes. The ministries were conferred by Bishop Emeritus Rodrigo Mejia, SJ, at the chapel of Hekima University College (HUC).

Bishop Rodrigo in his homily stated that the origin of the ministry of Lector and Acolyte was lay ministries which were known as minor orders. These were instituted by Pope Paul VI in the year 1972 with his apostolic letter Ministeria Quaedam. In the later development, these ministries came to be given to all candidates who were preparing for holy orders after the abolition of the other two minor orders of exorcist and porter.

Bishop Rodrigo, SJ, emphasised that all these ministries were to be taken very seriously because they were linked to the word of God. He added that being a lector was not just a matter of reading. Instead, a reader had to proclaim the word by articulating the word of God; and above all, the reader had to understand the word. On the other hand, the Acolytes were to minister at the altar, helping the celebrant during the Mass. This ministry was for the service of the people of God.

Bishop Rodrigo also affirmed that these ministries were given in preparation for future ministries, notably that of Holy Orders. He, therefore, encouraged the scholastics to exercise these ministries when they went to pray in the parishes so as to put into practice what they received. The Bishop also underscored the origin of these ministries from Jesus himself who handed over the ministries to his disciples. We on our part have received from them, and we continue with the same work that Jesus handed over to the apostles, which is that of spreading the Good News.