Formed for Peace, Formed for Fraternity
by friar Andrew Angatia, OFM Conv.
My name is friar Andrew Angatia, OFM Conv., from the Province of St. Francis of Assisi in Kenya. I am currently in my third year of philosophy studies at St. Bonaventure University in Lusaka, Zambia, and will soon graduate.
I am grateful to be formed in a Franciscan university where brothers from the three families of the First Order (the OFMs, the OFM Caps and the OFM Convs) come together to live, study, and grow in fraternity. This experience has helped me understand that Franciscan life is not only about personal holiness, but also about shared Gospel values, brotherhood, and learning to live as one family in Christ.
During my time at St. Bonaventure University, I have been blessed to participate in celebrations marking important moments in the life of St. Francis: the approval of the Later Rule, the Canticle of the Creatures, the event of the Stigmata, and now the 800th anniversary of his “transitus” into heaven. Celebrating these moments together strengthens our sense of unity as a Franciscan global fraternity. This Jubilee Year deepens my own understanding of peace.
For St. Francis, peace was not an abstract idea. It was a way of relating to God, to other people, and to all creatures. His greeting, “May the Lord give you peace,” expressed a whole way of seeing the world. He even called death “Sister Death,” teaching us that it is not simply an end, but a passage into eternal life.
That can be a challenging idea, especially in cultures where death is often feared or avoided. Yet Francis invites us to live reconciled lives now, so that our own journey to the Father may be marked by trust, not fear.
In Africa, peace is threatened in many ways: tribalism, corruption, exploitation of the poor, destruction of wildlife, and the careless extraction of natural resources. These wounds are not separate from one another. When the poor are exploited, when Creation is damaged, and when communities are divided, peace is broken.
Our African concept of Ubuntu, often translated as “I am because we are,” speaks beautifully to the Franciscan spirit. It reminds us that we belong to one another. We are responsible for one another. We cannot seek peace only for ourselves while ignoring the suffering of our brothers, sisters, and Creation.
St. Francis teaches us not only to help the poor, but to be with them. The poor are not objects of concern. They are our brothers and sisters, and we are called to build relationships with them.
As I continue my formation, my hope is to live a Franciscan life rooted in solidarity, fraternity, and peace. If we live this vocation faithfully, even in small ways, we can help build a more peaceful Africa and walk as one human family toward our own “transitus” to the Father.
