Italian Catholic priest quits priesthood to marry Kenyan woman in Baringo
Sandro Ferretto, an Italian-born Catholic priest who served in Baringo County for 12 years, has left the priesthood and married Sharon Jepng’ok, a Tugen woman from Baringo South
Sandro Ferretto, an Italian-born Catholic priest who served in Baringo County for 12 years, has left the priesthood and married Sharon Jepng’ok, a Tugen woman from Baringo South, in a traditional ceremony held on Sunday, 6 September 2026.
The wedding took place at Seretion Village, Kasiela, where Ferretto once served as parish priest.
The couple held a Koito ceremony, the Kalenjin customary rite for dowry negotiation and family blessing. Relatives, community elders, local leaders and Sharon’s colleagues attended the event.
Ferretto, 55, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Padua, Italy.
He began missionary work in Kenya in 2008, serving in the Kasiela and Mochongoi areas under the Diocese of Nyahururu.
During his time in Baringo, he became known for pastoral work, youth programs, and community development projects.
In December 2020, he returned to Italy with fellow missionary Fr Mariano Dal Ponte.
By 2023, he was leading a pastoral unit in Saletto, Borgo Veneto, overseeing eight churches.
In December 2023, local media reported he had stepped down from that role for a period of reflection.
He later returned to Kenya.
Sharon Jepng’ok is from Baringo South. She met Ferretto during his missionary service.
The wedding has attracted attention in Kenya and Italy because of Ferretto’s long association with communities in Baringo.
For many residents, he was known simply as “Father Sandro”, having spent more than a decade working among local families, youth groups and church congregations.
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Under Catholic Church law, priests of the Latin Rite make a commitment to celibacy and are not permitted to marry while remaining in active ministry.
The discipline of celibacy is considered a lifelong obligation linked to priestly service.
A priest who wishes to marry must first be released from the obligations of the clerical state through a formal process approved by the Vatican.
This process, commonly known as laicization, removes a priest from the clerical state and usually includes a dispensation from the promise of celibacy.
Once such permissions are granted, the individual is no longer regarded as an active priest and is free to enter into marriage.
Without this authorization, any attempt by a priest to marry would be considered contrary to Catholic canon law and would not be recognized by the Church.
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