Catholic priest leaves priesthood, weds Kenyan woman after 12 years in Kenya

Catholic priest leaves priesthood, weds Kenyan woman after 12 years in Kenya

Italian-born former Catholic priest Sandro Ferretto has left the Catholic priesthood and married his Kenyan partner, Sharon Jepng’ok, after spending about 12 years serving as a missionary in Baringo County, Kenya.

Ferretto, 55, married Jepng’ok on September 6, 2026, at Seretion Village in Kasiela, Baringo South, in a traditional Koito wedding ceremony conducted in accordance with Kalenjin customs.

The marriage has attracted significant attention after videos and photographs from the ceremony, including footage of Ferretto dancing with his bride, circulated widely on social media.

Ferretto previously served as a Catholic parish priest in Kasiela and Mochongoi, where he reportedly became closely connected with residents during his years of pastoral and missionary work.

According to reports, the Italian-born cleric arrived in Kenya in 2008 after being ordained for the Diocese of Padua in Italy. He subsequently served under the Diocese of Nyahururu, working in communities across Baringo County.

During his years in Kenya, Ferretto was involved in pastoral activities and community programmes and became a familiar figure among residents, many of whom knew him as Father Sandro.

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It was during his missionary service in Baringo that Ferretto reportedly met Sharon Jepng’ok, a Kenyan woman from the area. Their relationship later developed, eventually leading to his decision to leave active priestly ministry and pursue a different path in his personal life.

Ferretto returned to Italy in December 2020, where he later took up a pastoral assignment in Saletto, Borgo Veneto. By 2023, reports indicated that he had stepped away from his pastoral responsibilities and taken time for personal reflection.

He subsequently returned to Kenya, where he reunited with Jepng’ok and eventually formalised their relationship through marriage.

The couple’s wedding was marked by a Koito ceremony, an important traditional rite among the Kalenjin people that involves family participation, customary negotiations and blessings for the couple.

The ceremony at Seretion Village brought together relatives, friends and members of the local community. Ferretto also participated in the traditional celebrations, with videos from the event showing him dancing alongside his bride.

The wedding has generated discussion because of Ferretto’s previous position as a Catholic priest and the Church’s longstanding discipline regarding priestly celibacy.

In the Latin Catholic tradition, priests are ordinarily required to observe celibacy and are not permitted to marry while remaining in the clerical state. A priest who seeks to leave the clerical state and marry must go through the appropriate Church process.

However, publicly available reports have not provided sufficient details to establish the exact canonical status of Ferretto’s departure from the priesthood or whether the Catholic Church has issued a formal statement regarding his marriage.

Ferretto’s story has nevertheless drawn considerable attention because of his long association with Kenya. After spending more than a decade working as a missionary and parish priest in Baringo, he has now begun a new chapter of his life with Jepng’ok.

The former priest’s transition from missionary service to marriage has sparked widespread interest online, particularly among people familiar with his years of service in the Baringo community.

His wedding also highlights the personal connections that can develop between missionaries and the communities where they spend many years serving, with Ferretto ultimately choosing to celebrate his marriage according to the traditions of the Kenyan community where he had spent a significant part of his life.

Catholic priest leaves priesthood, weds Kenyan woman after 12 years in Kenya