Buffalo Friar Found that God was Calling Him to Africa

Friar Giles Zakowicz

Some people hear the call to service early in life. Giles Zakowicz – a 60 year old Conventual Franciscan friar from Buffalo, New York – went to a Conventual Franciscan high school. Very quickly he realized that God wanted him to be a Conventual Franciscan friar. By the early 1980s, Giles was friar as well as a priest. He expected to become a teacher at a school similar to the one he had attended. As often happens, things did not go as Friar Giles expected.

Buffalo, New York

The US Conventual Franciscan jurisdiction known as St. Anthony Province started a mission in the West African nation of Ghana. Friars were needed to staff the mission. Friar Giles who was at the time a student in Rome ended up filling one of the Ghana vacancies.  He spent his time in various roles related to formation, including that of director of formation at a local seminary.

Urban life in Ghana

Currently Friar Giles is serving at the St. Bonaventure Formation House in Kenya. He works with 35 friars from various countries across Africa. These men greatly admire Francis’ love and tolerance of others. Both of these qualities they try to reflect in their lives and surroundings. One only needs to look at the Valley of Prayer to understand this. Located in Saltpond, Ghana, the Valley of Prayer is a refuge for spiritual people of all religions. Full of shady trees and prayer sites, the Valley of Prayer is a spiritual refuge and a place of peace.

A village scene from Kenya

During his years in Africa, Friar Giles has witnessed many of the injustices that the continent has suffered and continues to suffer. Whenever he gets the opportunity he speaks up for Africa telling those who are listening to him that the continent has been treated unfairly by the West. Meanwhile he himself is doing his best in making Africa a better place.