“I never intended to be a missionary.”

Brother James Bok, OFM, has uttered those words numerous times over the years. As so often happens though, God had other intentions for this Franciscan friar. He returned stateside from Jamaica on Sept. 11, 2024, 16 years to the day after his arrival in Jamaica as a missionary in the Diocese of Montego Bay. He had joyfully called Jamaica home since 2008, embracing the people and their culture with respect and affection.

“I left something I love. It was a very difficult decision, but I’m content with it,” said Brother Bok. “I still have great health and energy, but knew it was time to return to Cincinnati because of my history andjama ministry here.” He celebrated his 77th birthday on July 5 of this year.

His entire ministry speaks to the joy that comes from accepting God’s will for us, even though His plans may not be our own. Raised in Reading, OH, Brother Bok attended then-Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School and graduated from Moeller High School in 1965. His brother, John, joined the Franciscans when Brother Bok was six years old.

“Over the next nine years (his seminary years), we visited John three times a year, which I suppose had quite an impact on me,” Brother Bok said. “[He] never pressured me about becoming a Franciscan. During my junior year at Moeller … I decided to give the Franciscans a try. A little aside: when my brother was ordained … he used to come home on Sundays, usually with a couple of other friar friends … [and that] had a big impact on me.”

Inspired by those brothers, he entered the Order, professing simple vows in 1971 and making his solemn profession three years later. Ordained to the priesthood on July 14, 1974, Brother Bok then taught at Roger Bacon, with the intention he’d attend law school at night.

“God had other plans, I suppose,” said Brother Bok, who ended up pursuing a master’s degree in education from Xavier University, with a concentration in administration. He served as principal of Roger Bacon for 10 years, “missionary service remaining the farthest thing from my mind.”

Next assigned as Director of the Development Office for the legacy St. John the Baptist Province, Brother Bok’s “mission sensitivity” awakened as he raised funds to support various Franciscan ministries, the missions among them. He also traveled more, witnessing the friars’ work in many cultures.

During their Provincial Chapter in 1999, the friars embraced a commitment to the missionary Diocese of Montego Bay, so his role on the Provincial Council and ministry took him to Jamaica several times. “By 2008, we knew that three of the six friars were leaving the Jamaican mission, and no replacements were forthcoming,” he said.

At Chapter that year, when the friars addressed the “critical need” in Jamaica, Brother Bok “felt the Holy Spirit tapping on my shoulder. The day after Chapter, I … [told] our newly elected provincial … I wanted to go to Jamaica. He was more surprised than I was, I think.”

He admits he never intended to stay 16 years but fell in love with the Jamaican people and their culture. He served as pastor of Mary, Gate of Heaven Church in Negril and St. Luke in Little London. “The needs of the people are great,” Brother Bok said. “Jamaica has a lot of poverty and unemployment. Just having their basic daily survival needs met is a day-to-day effort.”

Within two years of his arrival, the friars opened St. Anthony’s Kitchen to serve the hungry in Negril. Five days a week the bustling ministry provides breakfast for 60 students, before school, and lunch for about 150 adults. The staff consists of several paid employees and local and visiting volunteers.

Education has always been a priority for Brother Bok, and soon after the Kitchen was established, he learned how many children weren’t regularly attending school. “We heard over and over from parents that they couldn’t afford the costs of getting the kids to school every day,” he said. “While education is ‘free,’ many can’t afford … uniforms, taxi fare, school fees and lunch.”

In response, the friars collaborated with parents and Negril’s Rotary Club to establish the “Get Kids to School Program” in 2011. It quickly outgrew the 15-passenger bus available to transport the children, and now fully sponsors 160 children, assisting families with transportation, lunch money, uniforms, school supplies, fees and more.

Regarding his life’s unexpected turns, Brother Bok said, “For me, it was easy because I never clung to a specific desire. I think even if there is something we really want to do, we need to be open to a variety of possibilities, and the Spirit does touch us and move us in different ways.”

That openness is fundamental for every missionary, he emphasized. “You have to be open to stepping into another culture and understand that life is going to be different. You have to be with the people. I think you just have to have an open heart. You have to be willing to enter into something very different and allow yourself to change.”

“I felt very welcomed by the tenderness of the Jamaican people and very much part of their lives,” he said. “I engaged with them and immersed myself in their lives. I think if we immerse ourselves and are open to the people to whom we’re ministering, we’ll be successful no matter where we go or what we do.”

Having returned to Cincinnati, Brother Bok is already on the Boards of Roger Bacon High School and the General Secretariat of the Franciscan Missions. Reflecting on his life of faith and service thus far, he said, “God has walked me through all these things—being a teacher, being a principal, being a development director, being a missionary. My whole Franciscan life has been a blessing, and I know I’ve touched many lives. I’m thankful to God for that. He’s given me good health and good energy, so it’s been a great walk for me.”

This article appeared in the October 2024 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.