{"id":2000125377,"date":"2026-09-08T12:46:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T10:46:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000125377"},"modified":"2026-09-08T12:46:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T10:46:32","slug":"former-italian-catholic-priest-returns-to-kenya-to-marry-woman-he-met-as-missionary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/former-italian-catholic-priest-returns-to-kenya-to-marry-woman-he-met-as-missionary\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Italian Catholic priest returns to Kenya to marry woman he met as missionary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sandro Ferretto, 55, married Sharon Jepng\u2019ok in a traditional Koito ceremony held on Sunday, September 6, 2026, at Seretion Village in Kasiela, Baringo South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceremony brought together the couple\u2019s families, elders, local leaders and Jepng\u2019ok\u2019s colleagues, as they took part in traditional proceedings that included family meetings, dowry discussions and blessings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ferretto, who spent about 12 years serving as a Catholic missionary in Kenya, was ordained for the Diocese of Padua in Italy before travelling to the country in 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He served under the Diocese of Nyahururu, working as a parish priest in Kasiela and Mochongoi in Baringo County, where he became known locally as Father Sandro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His work extended beyond parish duties, with Ferretto taking part in pastoral activities, youth programmes and community projects. It was during his years working in Baringo that he met Jepng\u2019ok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Kenya back to Italy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ferretto returned to Italy in December 2020 alongside fellow missionary Father Mariano Dal Ponte, according to Italian newspaper Il Gazzettino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 2023, he was overseeing a pastoral unit covering eight churches in Saletto, Borgo Veneto, in the Diocese of Padua.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later that year, however, Ferretto stepped away from parish duties after celebrating what was reported as his final Mass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time, Il Gazzettino reported that he wanted to take a break from parish work. The Diocese of Padua clarified that he remained a priest and that his decision was not connected to any controversy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He subsequently volunteered with the Levante cooperative in Padua, an organisation involved in supporting migrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A return to Kenya<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ferretto eventually returned to Kenya, where he reunited with Jepng\u2019ok, the woman he had met during his missionary years in Baringo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their relationship eventually led to marriage, with the couple choosing to formalise their union through a traditional Koito ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceremony featured traditional attire, family gatherings, negotiations over dowry and blessings from elders, with Ferretto taking part in the proceedings alongside his bride and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Images from the event showed the former priest embracing the celebrations and participating in the traditions of his bride’s community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The unusual journey has attracted attention on Kenyan social media, with many users commenting on Ferretto’s transformation from a Catholic missionary known as Father Sandro to a groom returning to Kenya to marry the woman he met during his years of service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Italian missionary priest Fr. Sandro Ferretto has quit the Catholic priesthood after 12 years serving Baringo County, Kenya \u2014 and married Sharon Jepng\u2019ok, a local Tugen woman he met during his ministry. The couple wed in a traditional Koito ceremony in Kasiela on Sept 6. \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9 pic.twitter.com\/D8P5KpLkCj<\/a><\/p>— Tessy spice \ud83d\udc99 Gist – News lifestyle (@Tessyspice1) September 8, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>