To commemorate the Spirit of Assisi, the meeting of representatives of religions that took place in Assisi on October 27, 1986, a similar meeting will likely be held at the end of October in 2026. This meeting will bring together Pope Leo XIV and leading religious figures from around the world, including leaders of Christian denominations. Our small Spirit of Assisi project is about “going forth” and bringing the light of Assisi to various places around the world, especially places where our friars are present and active.
For this reason, I visited Kenya from January 26 to February 7, 2026. It was a somewhat foolish trip, considering the distances we had to cover by car, driving from Nairobi to Mombasa to Limuru to Subukia to Kericho and back to Nairobi again. However, this “folly” was well worth it. Interestingly, when His Eminence Cardinal Roger ETCHEGARAY wrote about the Spirit of Assisi in 1996, he used the word “folly” to describe the dynamic of this initiative: “It is folly – the folly of God – that which the spirit of Assisi may invent(…)”
We left Nairobi airport sometime after 4:00 a.m. and drove straight to Mombasa. By we, I mean Friar Joseph Kikuyu MUNGUTI, the Vicar Provincial of the Province of St. Francis of Assisi in Kenya, and myself. The morning of the next day, January 27, we met with the Most Reverend Martin Kivuva MUSONDE, Archbishop of Mombasa, Kenya. Our friars serve in his archdiocese at the parish in Kikambala and its many outstation chapels. The Archbishop had invited us to meet him for breakfast, so we slept very little, but it was worth it. After an incredibly interesting and inspiring meeting with him, our conversation turned to concrete action: there will be an interreligious meeting in Mombasa on November 28, 2026. We shall imbue this meeting with a very Franciscan character. Two bishops are involved in organizing and leading the event. They are the Most Reverend Willybard Kitogho LAGHO, Bishop of Malindi, Kenya, and the Most Reverend George MUTHAKA, OFM Cap., Bishop of Garissa, Kenya. At this point, I would like to thank Friar Joseph KIKUYU for organizing this meeting, for dealing with all the logistics needed to travel between Limuru, Mombasa and Nairobi, and for arranging our accommodations at the friary in Limuru. Incidentally, the parish where Friar Joseph serves as Pastor is celebrating the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. This is only fitting, since the church itself is named after St. Francis. Moreover, a special oil lamp commemorating the Spirit of Assisi meeting is going to be lit inside the church.
After visiting Mombasa, we drove to Nairobi. On January 29, I gave a lecture at Consolata International University entitled: “About the Need for God, for Religion, for Every Religion.” I was pleasantly surprised by the large turnout of students and even faculty members. The credit undoubtedly goes to the two people who really made this meeting possible: the Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University, Friar James Wangai KABATA, OFM Conv.; and the Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Father Josaphat WANYONYI, IMC. Friar James KABATA’s involvement brought me great joy, because he was another Conventual Franciscan joining the Spirit of Assisi project. Father Josaphat, however, I recall from the time I worked in Nairobi a few years ago. He has now invited me to participate more actively in the university’s work on ecumenism and interreligious dialogue. Seeing the incredible development of this university, with its growing number of students and the expansion of its educational facilities, has really increased my desire to continue our collaboration. After lunch, we met with the university’s board of directors. We exchanged experiences and developed new ideas and projects. One of these is the possibility of creating a faculty in the future where the study of Christian religions and denominations will be combined with ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. The program would welcome professors and speakers from around the world representing various academic fields. The invitation would also apply to visits for short seasonal lectures or individual conferences. Personally, I was very impressed by this meeting, so I am providing the link to the university for those who are interested: Home | Consolata International University.
On February 2, I gave a similar lecture at Tangaza University in Nairobi, where our seminarians study. I was quite surprised by the low turnout of interested people. However, at least I know that those present were truly interested in the topic. That’s why I’m including a photo of this group with this article. Oh well…sometimes experiences like this are necessary, too. Perhaps it was caused by the strike of the “matatus” (a typical Kenyan means of transport consisting of small minibuses). The seminarians also travel by minibus from the seminary, and perhaps the seminary drivers joined the strike, hence the absence of students.
The penultimate stop on my trip to Kenya was a visit to the Subukia Shrine. I had initially planned to organize a Spirit of Assisi meeting there, but it proved logistically more complicated than expected. However, the time spent in Subukia was an opportunity for rest, including spiritual rest.
At the end of my stay in Kenya, I managed to visit the Most Reverend Alfred Kipkoech ARAP ROTICH, Bishop of Kericho, Kenya. Our confreres serve in Chepsion, which is in his diocese. Years ago, he was the long-time Director of Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue on behalf of the Kenyan Bishops’ Conference. We met several times in the past, so our conversation was fraternal. Bishop ARAP ROTICH shared with me many meaningful experiences from his work in interreligious dialogue within the contemporary context, including its political dimensions. He once served as a Catholic military bishop in the Kenyan Army, holding the rank of colonel, and has maintained close contact with political leaders. He expressed his deep interest in the spirituality of St. Francis during this jubilee year. He also confided that he had asked our friars in Kenya to take over the friary in Kipkelion and create a spirituality center to promote peace. He then expressed his fervent desire that the light of the Spirit of Assisi might reach his diocese as well. A date for discussing this further remains open, since implementing this meeting will require very thorough preparation. At this point, I would again like to thank the friar who made the meeting possible, namely, the Guardian of the friary in Subukia, Friar Raymond Owinda OGUTU. The list of friars involved in the Spirit of Assisi project keeps growing.
I return to Europe a bit tired from so much travel, but very satisfied. New challenges await me! I am particularly pleased with the positive outcome of my meetings in Mombasa, at Consolata International University in Nairobi, and in Kericho. In short, my visit to Kenya was not easy, but the things we struggle to achieve, even if we fail, are still the most satisfying. If everything fell effortlessly into place, we would never have that deep sense of achievement in our work. The Conventual Franciscan work of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue in Kenya is only just beginning.
As I was writing the last of this article in Istanbul, and my journey in Africa was about to enter the realm of memory, it turned out there was still more journey to go. In Istanbul, I unexpectedly met Friar Denis Dominick KUNAMBI, the Custos of the Provincial Custody of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe in Tanzania. One word led to another, and a conversation developed. Thus, a new visit is already being planned, this time to Tanzania. Therefore, I must make a small correction to the final sentence of this article:
The Conventual Franciscan work of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue in Africa is only just beginning.
Friar Sławomir KLEIN
General Delegate for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue (EDI)
