"We are Together: A JST-SCU Student's Reflection on a Semester Studying in Nairobi"
Jack McLinden, S.J.
Tuko pamoja. The Jesuit community where I lived during my time at Hekima University College in Nairobi, Kenya, was named Pamoja Community. Pamoja is a Swahili word which means “together.” The fact that I was living in a community by that name made it an easy word for me to learn. Moreover, the phrase tuko pamoja, meaning “we are together,” quickly became my favorite Swahili phrase. This phrase illustrates beautifully what it meant for me to study theology at Hekima and be immersed in the local church and culture of Nairobi during the Spring Semester of 2024.
Hekima is a center of global and contextual theology, similarly to JST. Therefore it was easy for me to transition into classes which were discussing inculturation and the tensions between the local and global Catholic Church. The Kenyan cultural influence was evident in our daily “tea break” midway through morning classes. This break offered an opportunity for all of the students, whether lay, religious (from 17 different congregations), or diocesan seminarians, to come together to discuss what we were learning about in class, or simply to deepen our friendships with each other over a welcome cup of tea and a mandazi (Kenyan doughnut). There was a sense of unity within our community which was made up of students from around the world, especially from the African continent. Tuko pamoja.
One of my most cherished experiences was getting involved with Youth Serving Christ (YSC) at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Kangemi, which is identified as one of the slums of Nairobi. On my first day with the youth, who were actually 18-26 years old, they invited me to join in their liturgical dancing during Mass. Later in the day, they asked me to join the youth choir which animated one of the Sunday liturgies at the parish. Through liturgical dancing, singing together, and meeting after Mass for formation classes, I developed a connection with many of the members of YSC. I was amazed that as many as 50 members would come on any given Sunday. During this time I was also taking a course in pastoral theology which allowed me to reflect through social analysis and theological reflection on the complex social realities which the youth experienced. They were a powerful example to me of faith and dedication to the church community of which they were a part. Tuko pamoja.
One of the hardest parts of my experience was not knowing anyone in Nairobi when I first arrived. However, the grace of my time there was developing relationships with people both in the Hekima community and outside of it. This experience has revealed to me the possibilities of community and being church in this particular context on the African continent. It has given me hope and has made me excited to come back to JST with deeper connections and a better understanding of our global church and world.
About the Author: Jack McLinden, S.J., is a Midwest Jesuit in formation currently studying at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California. Jack is a choir member at St. Benedict Catholic Church in East Oakland and a ThM student at the Institute for Black Catholic Studies in New Orleans.