We are A Catholic Religious Missionary clerical Institute of priests and brothers.
As Franciscan Missionaries of Hope, we accept and live the Mystery of Hope that Christ the Lord lived and taught us to share among ourselves as brothers and transmit it to the people of God in fidelity to His plan of salvation.

We seek to bring Hope to God’s people by means of pastoral counseling through the virtue of
hospitality, human solidarity and by preaching the word of God.

 

We adopted the name “Lyke Community” to honor, and in memory of, Archbishop James Patterson Lyke of Atlanta, Georgia. His calm demeanor and love became an inspiration to our  founders who had met him when he visited Nairobi, Kenya.

The Franciscan Missionaries of Hope,  (The Lyke Community) was founded in Nairobi, Kenya, in September of 1993 by nine (9) young men who had undergone their initial formation in the Order of Friars Minor (OFM). Of the nine Co-founders, 4 Brothers: Francis Kamau, John Basiimwa, Nicholas Onyach, and Jogues Abena were solved to remain together under the spiritual directorship of Fr. Andre McGrath, OFM, who at that  time was Rector of Tangaza College, Nairobi.

Fr. McGrath played a major role in the foundation and the upkeep of the Franciscan Missionaries of Hope.  He is therefore considered a co-founder with both his spiritual, psychological, and material support during the infancy years of Franciscan Missionaries of Hope.
He constantly reminded the brothers the importance of trust in God’s providence.

Since our foundation , we have been known as  “The Lyke Community” and we refer to each other as ‘ndugu’, a Swahili word for a brother/a sister/a comrade, or a close relative.
This reflects the familial ties among the member of the Lyke Community.