ORIGINS OF THE LYKE COMMUNITY The beginnings of the Lyke Community: The Franciscan Missionaries of Hope, is traced back to a decision by a group of nine young African men who circumstances forced to band together for the purposes of mutual support and companionship. The nine-Francis Kamau, Nicholas Onyach, John Basiimwa, JoguesAbenawe, James Kamande, Nyangau, Biketi, Njuguna, and Ambrose- had been in the formation program of the Order of Friars Minor, East African Vice Province, but had either left or were “advised to leave” for a variety of reasons between the years 1992-1993. With spiritual, emotional, and material support of friends and well-wishers, notable of whom is Fr. Andre McGrath, OFM, the nine agreed to stay together to discern as a group God’s will for them. With time, this band of nine slowly evolved into a structured group/community that was eventually approved by the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi. But first things first. The evolution of the nine into a community did not happen overnight. It took time and commitment, and as true pilgrims and sojourners, involved constant migration and movements. TANGAZA COLLEGE Tangaza College can be considered the first home of the Lyke Community (or the birthplace of the Lyke Community). When Francis Kamau was sent back to Kenya from Livingstone, Zambia (where they were doing their philosophical studies), Fr. Andre McGrath, who was the then rector at Tangaza, graciously opened the doors for him and let him use one of the offices at the College as his abode as he joined Consolata Institute of Philosophy to complete his philosophical studies. But as it turned out, the office was soon to become the refuge of other young men who had been discontinued from other Religious Congregations, mostly because of drinking problems. However, these young men were not living as a community. Rather, they found the Tangaza office a place where they could take refuge as they pondered their next move (Francis himself was just waiting to finish his Philosophical studies). They were still in the process of trying to figure out what to do (some of the ideas that floated around was starting a “second chance home,” a place for young men like themselves who found themselves out of religious life) when a group of Francis’ former friar-brothers arrived from Zambia (Njuguna, Biketi, Ambrose, James Kamande, John Basiimwa, and JoguesAbenawe). They were leaving the Franciscan community, and once in Nairobi, they needed a place to stay. They contacted Francis who welcomed them. But with the arrival of the new guys, the whole group could not be accommodated in the Tangaza home. They needed a new place to stay. They turned to the only person they knew who could help them, Fr. Andre McGrath, and as usual, he stepped in to help. With the help of Mr. Steven Wakuria and Mr. Gabriel Maina, they were able to find a rental house at the Leparakuo’s. Fr. Andre graciously agreed to pay a year’s rent for the group. LEPARAKUO’S June 1993-June 1994 If Tangaza College was seen as a place of refuge, Leparakuo’s was considered a discernment house. The group was to use it to recollect themselves and to ponder what was next for them. There was no binding agreement among them. They were free to leave and go their separate ways as soon as the opportunity presented itself. They were not yet a community, or even a reflection of it. But even as they pondered on what to do, two more members arrived from Zambia-Nicholas and Nyangau. The arrival of these two put their number to nine (it is safe to say that it is these nine that would later become the founding brothers of the Lyke Community). Life at Leparakuo’s was on a day-to-day basis. Because a reflection of community life was appearing in the background, they needed a leader. Francis Kamau was chosen the leader of this band of young men. They were henceforth to commit themselves to communal liturgy, days of prayer and retreat, and regular community meetings of discernment. The group decided to acquire whatever jobs they could to support themselves. Francis was a driver for the Paul Kelly family, Mama Gatonye, and for the Leparakuo’s. Nicholas was working with Fr. Bill Sinkele who was attempting to found a technical school for street boys at Dagoretti. Jogues Abenawe and John Basiimwa were trained teachers and through the help of a Mrs. Elizabeth Kariuki and the late Mrs. Kibathi, they found teaching positions at Karen primary School (Mrs. Kibathi was the principal). Later, the same two ladies helped John Basiimwa to acquire a position at Forest View Academy, a place he stayed in for two years prior to joining Marist International College, Nairobi, for further studies. Ambrose Odongo, an Agriculturalist by profession, was employed by the Dominicans. Kamande and Nyangau worked at a school run by Brothers of Charles Lwanga at Gatwekira. Njuguna worked at Nyumbani Children’s Home, Karen, where he was to be later joined by Biketi. BISHOP NDINGI’S VISIT While at the Leparakuo’s, the group received a surprise visitation. The then bishop of Nakuru, the Most Rev. Ndingi Mwana a Nzeki, had heard about this group of young “Franciscan” men who wanted to found a religious community. In their attempt to find a listening ear, the brothers had reached out to the then bishop of Nakuru, the Most Rev. Ndingi Mwana a Nzeki. They had met Bishop Ndingi on several occasions since their postulancy and novitiate were in Nakuru Diocese (Subukia and Bahati) and had known him to be a compassionate man of God. Having travelled to Nairobi to attend a function at Tangaza College, Bishop Ndingi decided to use the opportunity to pay the group a surprise visit and see what they were all about. And as it turned out, he was impressed by the enthusiasm of the young men. He encouraged them to continue seeking the will of God and not to give up. In fact, he is the one who encouraged them to “found” a congregation. He left them with a suggestion that they put in writing what they were all about, and what contributions they hoped to bring into the Church, and to send it to him. This was the beginning of the process of drafting the community’s constitutions. With expert guidance from experienced theologians, canonists, and religious superiors, the brothers composed their mission statement and drafts of their first constitutions and by-laws. The first draft was ready by Pentecost 1994. THE KANGEMI RETREAT Sept 17th, 1993 It was when the group was sojourning at Leparakuo’s that the brothers had the monumental Kangemi retreat, the retreat that gave birth to the Lyke Community. Fr. Andre was about to return to the United States, and before leaving Kenya, he led the community into a “discernment retreat,” as they called it. At the retreat, the brothers resolved to graduate from being an amorphous group of young men to being a quasi-religious community. They resolved to look for good counsel and direction from friends even as they looked forward to growing together in charity and prayer, supporting one another in mutual service. The community stayed at Leparakuo’s for one year. At the end of the contract, they moved out. When it was apparent that they couldn’t renew their contract, an air of despair began to descend upon the group. Fr. Andre, their principal benefactor, was thousands of miles away in the US, and the brothers had no means of raising the amount of money needed to rent the house. They began to think that this might be the end of the road for the community. But they were not going to give up just yet. They hatched the idea of moving out two by two to take care of themselves, with the agreement that they would meet monthly in order to review and evaluate their progress. But as it is said that when a door closes God opens a window, when the door to the Leparakuo’s closed, God sent someone in the person of Sr. Redempta to open a window for the brothers. And the window that opened for them was in the form of an Ostrich Farm. OSTRICH FARM (TAMASHA/TAMA JOINT) 1994-1995 When the community was in the process of splitting up, a one Sr. Redempta, a Little Sister of St. Francis, visited the brothers and after feeling that their idea of splitting up would lead to the disintegration and ultimate death of the community, she informed them of a prospective place to stay. She knew of an old Ostrich Farm that had been acquired by a family friend of hers (Mr. and Mrs. Mbugua). She asked them to “hold their horses” until after she had talked to the Mbuguas to see if they could allow the brothers to stay in the Ostrich houses. The Mbuguas agreed and transformed the houses into habitable places. The houses were less expensive compared to their former home, but less “comfortable.” Though not the same standard as the former home, at least the brothers had their own rooms. The community was beginning to look into the future and decided that they needed to get back to school as preparation for their future ministry. Francis and Nicholas resumed their theological studies at Tangaza College, John Basiimwa went to Marist International College, while Jogues entered Christ the Teacher Institute of Education, Tangaza. The rest of the community continued with their jobs to support the community. For their tuition money, the brothers held a fundraising, which supplemented some form of scholarship Tangaza students were given. The brothers experienced both good and bad times at the Ostrich farm. On a happier note, the brothers used to have what they called Happy Weekend, which saw the brothers, the Little Sisters, and the Mbuguas come together and have a social gathering. On a not so happy note, the community experienced some problems of a young, growing community. The working brothers did not want to support the community. Coupled with other frustrations typical of a young community, Francis, the then leader of the community, stepped down and the community elected Nicholas as the leader. Because of all these problems, some of the brothers decided to leave, leaving the four brothers that are presently the co-founders of the community. The brothers were becoming organized as a viable community, even though they had no clear status in the church (as a religious institute). But this did not dampen their spirits. In 1997, they recruited new members to replace those who had left. The first recruits were Didasi Byarugaba and Frederick Kamande. At the same time, the brothers became involved with the local Christian community of St. John the Evangelist Parish, Lang’ata. They became endeared to the locals who became their great benefactors. In 1996, the Mbuguas came up with the idea of constructing a social club/joint at the premises adjacent to where the brothers were staying. The result was Tama Joint. The erection of Tama Joint turned out to be a problem to the brothers. Revelers at the joint would sometimes stay until the wee hours of the morning, dancing and playing loud music. The brothers found it hard to perform some of their activities, including prayers. It was soon time for the brothers to move once again, and this time around, help came in the person of Mrs. Francis Chege. She was among the locals who sometimes joined the brothers for liturgical celebrations. She felt the uneasiness of the brothers because of the new social joint. She suggested that the brothers move out of the Mbuguas and move into a structure she had used to house cattle. And so, the brothers moved to their third home. MAMA CHEGE’S The brothers moved into Mama Chege’s in 1996. Many developments took place at Mama Chege’s: Francis, Nicholas, and Jogues graduated from Tangaza; John Basiimwa graduated from Marist International College; Fr. Bill Sinkele, OP, became the spiritual director of the community; and the four co-founding brothers decided it was time they dedicated themselves to the community by making final pledges (because the community was not yet formally approved, they could not profess vows). This they did on 15th August 1998, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And with the help of a Mr. Carmelato from Canada and Fr. Zagano, a canon lawyer, the community put together the second draft of the constitutions. It was also while the community was housed at Mama Chege’s that the community sent its first members on a mission. THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPS THE FIRST MISSION In October of 1998, the Lyke Community sent its first missionaries to the Catholic Diocese of Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. By the Spring of 1998, Francis and Nicholas had completed their theological studies at Tangaza College, John Basiimwa had completed his studies at Marist International College, and Jogues Abenawe had completed his studies at Christ the Teacher Institure of Education, and all four were ready to pursue apostolate and further training for ministry. Fr. Bill Sinkele, OP, who was at that time the official spiritual director of Lyke Community in Nairobi, was trying to find a setting where Francis could go to the USA and study alcohol addiction counseling (Francis had been involved with AA since he left Zambia). He had seen a great potential in Francis and felt that in line with the community’s charism of hospitality and counseling, the community would greatly benefit if Francis went for further studies in the United States. He was still in the process of identifying a place for Francis when another door opened somewhere else. Fr. Andre McGrath, despite moving back to the United States, had continued to follow with keen interest the developments in the Lyke Community. When he therefore heard that there was a possibility of Francis going to the United States, he contacted a Mr. Dan Lohman who was his sponsor in the AA, to see if they could do something about helping Francis move to the United States. Dan Lohman introduced Fr. Andre to a Mr. CD Barnes who was then the chairman of the board of the Northwest Louisiana Council on Alcoholism, and a Mr. Dan Talley who was the director at the time. Upon learning about the Lyke Community, these three men approached Fr. Andre with the suggestion that they could offer Francis (and another brother) an internship in counseling. The council offered two scholarships, and the community now had to decide who, besides Francis, was to go to America. At a special meeting held in Ongata Longai, the community decided to have Francis and Jogues go to America while Nicholas and John were to remain behind to do administrative and formation work. With the help of Bishop Friend and the Catholic Immigration bureau in Washington, the two brothers obtained their visas, and were ready to come to fly to the US in two weeks. 2932 MURPHY STREET, LYKE HOUSE SHREVEPORT IS BORN With the brothers just two weeks away from landing in the US, Fr. Andre was now tasked not only with finding enough funds to buy the brothers their air tickets but also finding them accommodation. When he shared his plight with the members of St. Mary of the Pines Parish, they chipped in and helped. The following day, Fr. Andre went to the Catholic Centre where upon sharing his plight with a certain Mr. Gary who was the then diocesan superintendent of schools. Gary suggested to Fr. Andre that he speaks to the pastor of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church to see if he could allow them the use of the residence at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Academy which was by then vacant. Fr. Andre approached Fr. Richard Pusch who was the pastor then, and together, they went over to 2932 Murphy Street. The building was not furnished, and the brothers were ten days away from landing in the US. With the help of Jim and Mary McGill, Fr. Andre’s colleagues at the Greco Institute, a few friends from St. Mary of the Pines and the Catholic Center got together and four days before Francis and Jogues arrived, they furnished the house. Brother Giovanni Reid, then working in Alamagordo, New Mexico, drove 13 hours to Shreveport to join Fr. Andre in welcoming Francis and Jogues. When the brothers landed in the US, they spent their first night sleeping on the couch and floor of St. Mary of the Pines. The following day, 13th October 1998, Francis and Jogues were taken to 2932 Murphy Street, which would be later christened Lyke House, and be a home for the brothers for close to fifteen years. Brother Francis found training and employment with the Northwest Louisiana Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse as an intern counselor in the Adolescent Treatment Center sponsored by the Council. He served in that position for three years, while pursuing counseling and addictive disorder education at Southern University while at the same time volunteering as a religious education instructor and retreat director on regular basis. Brother Jogues Abenawe taught religion and Kiswahili at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Academy for two years before being accepted at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans for his theological studies. THE CHAPTER OF 2001 Br. Nicholas, the then Superior General of the Franciscan Missionaries of Hope, summoned the first General Chapter since the community was formally established as a Public Association of Christ’s Faithful. The chapter, which ran from 1st to 5th August 2001, was held at the Catholic Center, Shreveport, Louisiana. The Chapter, which was attended by the Brothers, Nicholas, Francis, John, Peter, and Paul, elected Br. Francis Kamau as the Superior General. Fr. Francis took the mantle of the community’s leadership from Br. Nicholas who had served the community in that capacity since 1994 (?). Br. Francis was elected for a six-year term, assisted by Br. John Basiimwa as Vicar General. As the Superior General, Br. Francis had to return to Kenya where the Motherhouse of the community was. But since he still had commitments at the Northwest Louisiana Council on Alcoholism and Addictions and the Adolescent Treatment Center, it was not until December 24th, 2001, that he returned to Kenya. KING’EERO Following his election as the Superior General of the Community in the 2001 General Chapter, Fr. Francis had to go back to Kenya where the Motherhouse of the community was situated. When he returned to Kenya in December of that year, he was greeted by a pressing housing need. The community had moved from Mama Chege’s, and the brothers were staying in Kahuho and Langata (brothers in school were staying in Langata, while those in formation were staying in Kahuho). However, with the community expanding, there was an urgent need for new accommodation means. And help did arrive in the form of King’eero. The brothers who were housed at Kahuho involved themselves in pastoral ministry which included helping with Mass at Holy Eucharist Church Kingeero (which at that time was a mission church of Muguga Parish). Kingeero had a spacious rectory which was unoccupied at that time. At the suggestion of Fr. Nick, Fr. Francis approached Archbishop Ndingi to request the use of the rectory for the community’s formation purposes. And once again, providence smiled on the brothers. The Archbishop allowed the community the use of the rectory, with the agreement that the community would take upon the completion of the rectory (it still needed some finishing work). With the help of youth from Kahuho and Kingeero churches, the brothers cleaned the building and made it habitable. Fr. Nick moved with the postulants to Kingeero and turned Kahuho into a discernment house. Fr. Francis found employment with Redhill Rehabilitation center, while staying at Motherhouse. The community decided to send Fr. Nick to the US to take the place of Francis who had returned to Kenya. Fr. Francis decided to move to King’eero to be involved with the formation, a move that resulted in his resigning from Redhill. After a two-year presence in Kingeero, the good work of the brothers was recognized, and Kingeero was made a parish under the pastorship of the Lyke Community in December 2003. Fr. Frederick Kamande, FMH, was appointed the pastor with Fr. Francis as the parochial vicar (and formation director of the postulants). ST. MARY OF THE PINES St. Mary of the Pines is the third parish to be entrusted to the care of the Lyke Community. In December 2009, bishop Michael G Duca of Shreveport Diocese appointed Fr. Francis Kamau, FMH, and Fr. Henry Kiggundu, FMH, as pastor and parochial vicar respectively of St. Mary of the Pines Catholic Church. The appointment of Frs. Francis and Henry to St. Mary of the Pines appeared to bring to full circle the community’s relationship with the parish, for the community’s relationship with St. Mary is as old as the presence of the community in the United States. When Fr. Andre McGrath left Africa for the United States in 1993, he stayed at St. Mary of the Angels in New Orleans until 1997 when, at the invitation of the Greco Institute, he became a full-time instructor at the Institute. However, Fr. Andre had to find accommodation, a reason which took him to the Most Rev. William B. Friend, the then Bishop of Shreveport Catholic Diocese. At the suggestion of Bishop Friend, Fr. Andre moved into St. Mary of the Pines rectory. When in 1998 brothers Francis and Jogues were sent as missionaries to the United States, their only contact was Fr. Andre. As a result, when they landed in the United States, their first stop was St. Mary of the Pines, and their first night in America was spent here. And when Archbishop Ndingi recommended brothers Francis and Nicholas for ordination, it was at St. Mary of the Pines that the two were ordained by Bishop Friend of Shreveport. The date was March 19th, 2000. “LYKE COMMUNITY” As the brothers were establishing themselves as a “community,” people began to wonder who these young men were, and it dawned on the brothers that they ought to find a name by which they could be known. The first name that came into their mind was “Lyke.” ARCHBISHOP JAMES PATTERSON LYKE James Patterson Lyke was born on February 18, 1939, in Illinois, Chicago. Although he was born in a Baptist family, James Lyke was sent to Catholic School run by the Benedictine Sisters so that, according to his mother, he would get “a good education.” At age 12, James Lyke became a Catholic and after finishing High School, he decided to join the Franciscans [Sacred Heart OFM Province] and was ordained to the presbyterate in 1966. After his ordination, James Lyke was sent to teach at Padua High School in Parma [south Cleveland], Ohio. From Ohio, he was sent to serve in different pastoral positions, including serving as a chaplain at Grambling State University, Louisiana, and as Pastor at St. Benedict the Black, Grambling, positions which, coincidentally, Fr. Nicholas Onyach, FMH, was to serve in several years later (?). While still serving at Grambling, James Lyke was appointed an auxiliary bishop of Cleveland. Bishop Lyke was later appointed Archbishop of Atlanta, Georgia, a position he served in till his death in 1992. In 1989, Archbishop Lyke travelled to Kenya to visit with his friend and fellow Franciscan, Fr. Andre McGrath, who was serving as a missionary in Kenya (1987-1993). (Before volunteering for missions [in Kenya], Fr. Andre had worked with Archbishop Lyke while the latter was still the auxiliary bishop in Cleveland, Ohio. Fr. Andre was then serving as a seminary teacher and constantly served as Bishop Lyke’s theologian. It was Fr. Andre’s friendship with Archbishop Lyke that sparked Fr. Andre’s zeal to volunteer for missions). And it was during this visit that some of the [future] founding brothers of the Lyke Community (who were Novices by then, and residing at Bahati, Nakuru) met Archbishop Lyke. In the Archbishop, the brothers discovered a charismatic but humble man of God, a man who was had passion for ministry and the people of God. Archbishop Lyke’s humble style enabled him to open up to the young friars. He often narrated to the young African friars his own story, a story that had resonances with the many stories the brothers heard daily, a story that was perhaps the very version of their very stories, only that it was now being told by someone else, more so an American. The friendship that ensued was instant and mutual, a friendship that would later lead the brothers to honor him by naming the community after him. Though not [yet] canonized by the Church, the brothers often look upon Archbishop James Patterson Lyke as their ancestor. The brothers chose his name as a sign of the community’s charism (of hospitality and counseling). “FRANCISCAN MISSIONARIES OF HOPE” Following Bishop Ndingi’s encouragement and recommendation that the brothers put in writing what they were all about (their constitutions), the brothers’ reflection regarding their status in the church intensified. It came to their attention that they needed a formal name that would reflect their status were they to be approved (Lyke Community, the name by which they had been known for some time now, would not suffice). Though the brothers were no longer part of the Order of Friars Minor, they still felt that the love they had for St. Francis of Assisi was still glowing in their hearts. They felt that St. Francis of Assisi was very relevant to the church and people of Africa and felt that if they were to decide to live out their baptismal consecration as religious men, they were going to do so in the Spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi. Consequently, the brothers resolved that even though they could not be members of the Order of Friars Minor, they were nonetheless going to remain Franciscans. The brothers also felt that just as Francis and the Franciscan Movement could not be contained in its birthplace of Europe, they too, in the spirit of a missionary church, were called to be missionaries. They felt they had to continue in the footsteps of St. Francis to spread the message of Christ’s love. If there was something that the brothers had experienced in their life outside the Order of Friars Minor, it was hope. For when the nine brothers either left or were asked to leave the Order of Friars Mino, they felt they were like people without hope. But through Fr. Andre McGrath, OFM, the local Christian community of St. John Evangelist Parish, Lang’ata, and Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a Nzeki, they felt God reaching out and giving them hope. It was for this reason that the brothers felt God calling them to embrace the mission of bringing hope to the apparently hopeless. Consequently, the name “Franciscan Missionaries of Hope” was immediately adopted as the official name of the community. It was a name which reflected not only the history of the community but represented what the community aspired to become. The charism of hope would be expressed through the works of mercy, showing hospitality to the broken-hearted and downtrodden of society, as well as through pastoral counseling. On 26th October 1999, Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki issued a decree officially approving the Franciscan Missionaries of Hope as a Public Association of Christ’s Faithful. THE LYKE COMMUNITY LOGO The Lyke Community Logo comprises several symbols: an image of a man being embraced in via; a Tau; an open Bible, Shepherd’s staff, and a key. The idea to come up with a logo was hatched when the brothers were in the process of writing the community’s constitutions. The brothers saw that it was important to have the logo as a complimentary part of the constitution. As such, it was meant to express the identity of what the community was/stood for. The image of a man being embraced in via was inspired by two stories: the biblical parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), and the story of St. Francis embracing the leper. These two studies were seen by the brothers as the best visual description of what the community stood for: giving others a second chance. Their two stories were the best symbols of giving and receiving hope, the two virtues upon which the community was built. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Brother Francis Kamau drew a sketch of Saint Francis embracing a leper, and image which also reminded him of how the loving Father embraced the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). As Franciscans, the brothers felt that the Tau was also an appropriate symbol to include in the logo. The Tau was a favorite symbol that St. Francis used to sign off his letters. Moreover, the brothers felt that the Tau was also a sign of hope (those who had the Tau sign on their foreheads were spared death-Cf. Ezekiel 9:4). The brothers first and foremost calling is that of being followers of Christ. And as Christians, the Bible was going to form the foundation of their lives. The Bible was to become the guiding post, the Alpha and the Omega of their day-to-day activities. It was the springboard of the apostolate of the brothers, a place where they met Christ. The brothers also felt that the Shepherd’s staff and key were appropriate symbols to include in the logo because they represented their role as a people preparing for ministry in the Church. Because people were going to come to the brothers for direction, comfort and encouragement, the brothers were to be their shepherds, leading them in the ways of Christ. The key symbolizes the kingdom of God. Through their ministry, the brothers were to help the people of God realize the presence of the kingdom of God in their lives. The brothers had all the symbols they deemed appropriate to visually express the mission of the community. But they were yet to be synchronized into a meaningful insignia. This is when a certain Mr. Albert Muriithi came in with his artistic skills and helped the brothers to put the ideas together into the present logo. And the brothers liked it. The brothers also picked green as the color of the community because green is the color of Hope. Abundant in nature, green signifies growth, renewal, rebirth, health. Because of all the green in nature the color is reminiscent of the season of Spring, a season when new life “springs” forth from dormancy. Green is also the color for "going forth" (traffic light). The brothers’ mission was a mission of bringing hope to those who had lost hope in life because of different reasons. Green became the appropriate color to represent this mission because just as it represented a going forth, a rebirth or health, the brothers intended to help the people of God renew their lives by “re-birthing” themselves. The brothers’ mission was that of helping people let go of their past to “go/spring forth.” THE CHARISM OF HOSPITALITY AND PASTORAL COUNSELING The Lyke Community’s Charism of Hospitality and Pastoral Counseling is traced all the way back to the time when the founding brothers were in the formation program of the Order of Friars Minor. Because the Western friars had not fully come to comprehend much about the African culture, they found most of the “African way of doing things” repulsing – particularly the African way of showing hospitality. The African friars were required to limit – if not to entirely cut off – any contact with the local community. Any dealings that the friars had with the locals were to be discussed outside the friary. And perchance the locals showed up at the door of the friary, they were not to be led into the house. This was unsettling for the African friars, and however much they would have liked to obey their formators, they were unable to uphold this rule. Often, they incurred the wrath of the formators by welcoming visitors into the house and serving them refreshments. The western friars were struggling to understand why hospitality was so highly regarded by the African friars – even to a point of disobedience. To them, it (hospitality) was tantamount to intrusion of privacy and inconvenience (to the hosting party). But hospitality is not something the African friars “invented” to frustrate their western friar formators. Hospitality is something embedded in their very own beings. Hospitality is something they were taught to value and practice in and out of season. They were brought up knowing that visitors are bringers of divine blessings to the community and as such are to be treated with the utmost warmth and kindness. At any rate, hospitality is not exclusively an “African” thing by any means. The Holy Scriptures are awash with instructions and commands to be hospitable, a requirement that went beyond being just polite, friendly, or entertaining guests. In the Hebrew Scriptures, hospitality is portrayed as a vital part of the culture and religion of the people. Israelite hospitality “codes” related to two distinct classes of people: the traveler and the resident alien (Leviticus 19:34; Deut. 10:19). It was all in the name of hospitality that our Father in Faith, Abraham, entertained the angels of God, angels that brought him good news (Genesis 18:1ff). It was because of hospitality that Lot was saved from the wrath of God (Genesis 19:1ff). Similar hospitality “codes” can also be found in the New Testament. The author of the letter to the Hebrews reminds the recipients of the letter not to neglect hospitality, for by welcoming strangers, men and women have welcomed angels in their homes (Hebrews 13:2). The author of the first epistle of Peter reminds the audience to be mutually hospitable (1 Peter 4:9). And in the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus paints the scene of the last judgment in which the hospitable are the inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 25:34-46). As a consequence, when the friars finally discerned that they were going to found a religious community, they decided that hospitality was going to be a central virtue in the life of the community. The community was going to be a place where hospitality triumphs over all – among themselves and with those who were to knock at their doors. And this is a virtue that the community has continued to practice ever since. It is the community’s resolve to welcome one and all into their midst that endeared them to the people they serve. Members of local communities have always found warmth and generosity in our communities. For a long time, the Motherhouse in Lang’ata, Nairobi, did not have a gate. The brothers had agreed that if our communities were to be “homes” to the people, then barriers, such as gates, had no place in Lyke communities. And even when the city council forced us to have a gate, the brothers agreed that it would always remain open. The charism of Pastoral Counseling arises from the very nature of the institute as a community of men who have dedicated themselves to be ministers in the Church. As ministers, the foremost duty and responsibility of the brothers is the people of God. But the Lyke Community takes Pastoral Counseling as its charism in virtue of own history. When Francis Kamau arrived in Nairobi-Kenya from Livingstone, Zambia, Fr. Andre McGrath, with open arms, not only welcomed him but sat down with him and listened to his story. And it was the case with all the brothers who arrived from Zambia. They were able to pick up their lives and “move on” because there was somebody who was willing to listen to their stories and comfort them as often as it was necessary. Pastoral Counseling as a charism arose from the community’s resolve to be a “second chance” community. Giving people a second chance was integral to the community because the story of the brothers was itself a success story of being given a second chance. And what better way could one give others a second chance than through counseling?