Italian Catholic Priest Leaves Priesthood, Marries Kenyan
An Italian-born Catholic priest has left the priesthood and married a Kenyan woman in a traditional ceremony in Baringo County, Kenya.
Sandro Ferretto, 55, formerly served as a Catholic missionary in Kenya, where he spent years working with communities in Baringo. He married Sharon Jepng’ok, a Tugen woman from Baringo South, during a traditional Koito ceremony at Seretion village in Kasiela on September 6.
Ferretto was ordained for the Diocese of Padua in Italy before beginning his missionary work in Kenya in 2008. He served in the Kasiela and Mochongoi areas under the Diocese of Nyahururu, where he was involved in pastoral work, youth programmes and community development.
He later returned to Italy in 2020 and served in a pastoral role covering several churches. He subsequently stepped away from that position for a period of reflection before returning to Kenya, where he reunited with Jepng’ok, whom he had met during his earlier missionary service.
The wedding attracted attention partly because Ferretto embraced his bride’s Tugen cultural traditions, appearing at the ceremony in traditional attire.
His decision also highlights the significant restrictions surrounding marriage for Roman Catholic priests. Under Latin Catholic canon law, clerics are generally required to observe celibacy, while those already in sacred orders cannot validly marry without first being released from their obligations and, where applicable, the clerical state.
Ferretto’s transition from missionary priest to husband has generated widespread interest in Kenya, particularly because of his long association with the Baringo community.
