During my visit to Kenya, September 10-17, 2022, I learned a Swahili word: \u201charambee<\/em>,\u201d which expresses the importance of everyone pulling together to make the world we live in a better place. Pope Francis speaks of this concept using the Franciscan phrases \u201cfratelli tutti\u201d and \u201cculture of encounter.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cTo speak of a \u2018culture of encounter\u2019 means that we, as a people, should be passionate about meeting others, seeking points of contact, building bridges, planning a project that includes everyone. This becomes an aspiration and a style of life. The subject of this culture is the people.\u201d<\/em> (Fratelli Tutti, <\/em>216)<\/p>\n In Ruiri, Kenya, during workshops on Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (GPIC) and Franciscan Ethics for a \u201c0-5\u201d group of friars, we were able to discuss how to use St. Francis\u2019 Canticle of Creation and Canticle of Minority [the Admonitions<\/em>] to seek points of contact in fraternity and ministry\u2026 HARAMBEE! Friar Michael LASKY, General Delegate for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation<\/p>\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" During my visit to Kenya, September 10-17, 2022, I learned a Swahili word: \u201charambee,\u201d which expresses the importance of everyone pulling together to make the world we live in a better place. Pope Francis speaks of this concept using the Franciscan phrases \u201cfratelli tutti\u201d and \u201cculture of encounter.\u201d \u201cTo speak of a \u2018culture of encounter\u2019 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48996,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[98,132,135,120,148],"tags":[1155,2049],"class_list":["post-49000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afcof-en","category-federations","category-general-offices","category-gpic-en","category-news","tag-kenya-en","tag-visit"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49000"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49000\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/em>It was a privilege to have been asked to preach at the Mass of Welcoming for the new postulants in Ruiri. That same day, I was able to explore with the postulants Franciscan GPIC through the lens of St. Clare\u2019s method of Franciscan Prayer, to Gaze, Consider, Contemplate, and Imitate\u2026 HARAMBEE!
\n<\/em>Our Lady Queen of the Apostles Church in Gaturi is a new ministry for the Province of Kenya. The friars have only been there for six months! The parish includes twenty other chapels in the region. Friar Boniface Nzioki MUIA gathered catechists from all the communities for a day of training. Together, we discussed the importance of seeing ourselves as part of God\u2019s creation, brothers and sisters to all that lives\u2026 HARAMBEE!
\n<\/em>In Nairobi, Friar James KABATA welcomed me to the Consolata Institute of Philosophy where I was able to discuss with members of the Drama Club the work of Franciscan Social Theatre in Ukraine and Poland\u2026 HARAMBEE!
\n<\/em>I am especially grateful for Friar Obed Muriungi KAROBIA,<\/strong> who was forever introducing me to the people of God, as Friar Mike \u201cMurithi\u201d LASKY. I quickly learned that \u201cMurithi\u201d means shepherd, which immediately made me feel at home in the community, since the people gave a little laugh and welcomed me with open arms\u2026 HARAMBEE!<\/em><\/p>\n