Building Bridges Where the World Raises Boundaries
by friar Tumaku Yao Clement, OFM Conv.

I am friar Tumaku Yao Clement of the Conventual Franciscans in Ghana, Africa. I was born into a family of six siblings: five brothers and one sister, and we were blessed with parents who nurtured Gospel values in our home.
The Franciscan way of life first caught my attention through Facebook. Soon after, I met the friars and asked to join them. That simple beginning has led me into a life of fraternity, prayer, study, and service that continues to surprise me.
An important part of my formation took place at St. Bonaventure University, in Lusaka, Zambia, where I completed three years of philosophy studies. There, I lived and studied with nearly 200 brothers from the three Franciscan families, drawn from many countries across our vast African continent. That experience changed me.
We came from different cultures, customs, languages, food traditions, and ways of communicating. At times, those differences were challenging. But they also became gifts. In fraternity, I learned that differences do not have to become divisions. They can become invitations— opportunities to listen, to forgive, to understand, and to build something together.
That lesson is important for the future of Franciscan life. The world is often divided by nationality, language, tribe, race, politics, and fear. But a friar is called to stand in those places of difference and witness that another way of living is possible. Brotherhood is not only something we preach. It is something we must practice.
That is why one line from Pope Leo XIV’s prayer to St. Francis speaks deeply to me. In the prayer, we ask for “the courage to build bridges where the world raises boundaries.” I know what that means because I have lived it.
During my years in Zambia, some of those boundaries began to disappear. I discovered new brothers where I might once have noticed only differences. I learned that peace is not built by avoiding difficulty, but by staying present to one another with patience and love. I learned that fraternity is not only a beautiful idea. It is a daily choice.
This Jubilee Year of St. Francis fills me with joy because it reminds Franciscans around the world are united in one spirit. Wherever we live, whatever language we speak, we are called to follow Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis— as brothers, peacemakers, and builders of bridges.
God willing, I will soon begin a new chapter in my theological studies at our International College in Rome, where I hope to specialize in Franciscan theology. I receive this opportunity as a special grace, especially during this 800th anniversary of the passing of our Seraphic Father. As I prepare for this next step, I ask St. Francis to accompany me always. May he help me become a friar who builds bridges in Africa, in Rome, and wherever God may send me.