When God has other plans: Friar answers call to serve in Jamaica

By Eileen Connelly, OSU 

“I never intended to be a missionary.”  

Br. Jim Bok, OFM, has uttered those words many times over the years. God had other plans for him. 

He recently concluded 16 years of ministry in Jamaica, departing on the anniversary of his arrival in the Diocese of Montego Bay on Sept. 11, 2008. Even though he never intended to be a missionary, Br. Jim joyfully called Jamaica home, embracing the people and the culture with respect and affection. In turn, he was dubbed “World’s Kindest Priest.”  

“I left something I love. It was very difficult decision, but I’m content with it,” said Br. Jim, who celebrated his 77th birthday on July 5. “I still have great health and energy, but knew it was time to return to Cincinnati because of my history and ministry there.”  

His years in Jamaica – and his whole life’s ministry – speak to the joy that comes in accepting God’s will, even though his plans may not be our own.  

Inspired by a brother 

Br. Jim is from Reading, Ohio, an inner suburb of Cincinnati. When he was just six years old, his older brother John joined the Franciscans.  

“Over the next nine years (his seminary years), we visited John three times a year, which I suppose had a quite an impact on me,” Br. Jim said. “John never pressured me about becoming a Franciscan.”  

After John was ordained, he returned home on Sundays, usually with a couple of other friar friends in tow. The time spent with the friars was enough to inspire Br. Jim. “During my junior year in high school, I had my guidance counselor meeting looking to the future. That is when I decided to give the Franciscans a try.” 

He entered the Order of Friars Minor, professing first vows in 1971, and making solemn profession three years later. Br. Jim was ordained to the priesthood on July 14, 1974. After ordination, he began teaching at Roger Bacon High School in Cincinnati and intended to attend law school at night.  

“God had other plans, I suppose,” said Br. Jim, who ended up pursuing a master’s degree in education from Xavier University with a concentration in administration. He went on to serve as principal of Roger Bacon, ministering in that role for 10 years, with “missionary service remaining the farthest thing from my mind.” 

After 16 years as a Franciscan missionary, Br. Jim celebrated his final Mass at Mary, Gate of Heaven Parish Negril, Jamaica, in September 2024. (Photo courtesy of Mary, Gate of Heaven Parish)

A nudge from the Holy Spirit  

When his time at the high school ended, Br. Jim was assigned to serve as director of the Development Office for the legacy St. John the Baptist Province. His “mission sensitivity” deepened in this position as he raised funds to support various Franciscan ministries, the missions among them. He also began to travel more, witnessing the work of the friars in many cultures.  

In 1999, the during the friars’ Provincial Chapter, they embraced a commitment to the missionary diocese of Montego Bay. As a member of the Provincial Council, Br. Jim’s ministry took him to Jamaica several times. “By 2008,” he explained, “we knew that three of the six friars were leaving the Jamaican mission, and no replacements were forthcoming.”  

At Chapter that year, the friars addressed the “critical need” in Jamaica and Br. Jim “felt the Holy Spirit tapping on my shoulder, maybe for the first time in my Franciscan life. The day after Chapter, I went to the office of our newly elected Provincial and told him I wanted to go to Jamaica. He was more surprised than I was, I think. In September, I packed my bags and off I went.” 

St. Anthony’s Kitchen in Negril, Jamaica, opened in 2010 to feed the hungry poor, and currently serves for lunch for approximately 150 adults each day and breakfast for some 60 children before they head off to school. Br. Jim Bok, OFM, is pictured here with a visiting volunteer. (Photo courtesy of the legacy St. John the Baptist Province)

Making connections and taking action  

He never intended to stay 16 years, Br. Jim admitted, but he fell in love with the Jamaican people and their culture. He served as pastor of Mary, Gate of Heaven Parish in Negril, and St. Luke in Little London.  

“The needs of the people are great,” he noted. “Jamaica has a lot of poverty and unemployment. Just having their basic daily survival needs met is a day-to-day effort. While education is ‘free,’ many can’t afford the cost of uniforms, taxi fare, school fees and lunch.” 

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

Education has always been a priority for Br. Jim, and not long after the Kitchen was established, he became aware of how many children weren’t attending school on a regular basis. “We heard over and over from parents that they couldn’t afford the costs of getting the kids to school every day,” he said.  

In response, the friars began collaborating with parents and the Rotary Club of Negril to address the need. The Get Kids to School Program was established in 2011 and quickly outgrew the 15-passenger bus. The program currently sponsors 160 children, assisting families with transportation, lunch money, uniforms, school supplies, fees and more. 

Br. Jim Bok received a warm welcome from the Jamaican people when he arrived to serve as a missionary in 2008, and became known as “world’s kindest priest.” He is pictured here with a parishioner at Mary, Gate of Heaven in Negril, where he served as pastor. (Photo courtesy of the legacy St. John the Baptist Province)

Joyfully embracing God’s will  

Br. Jim may have never intended to be a missionary, but he joyfully embraced God’s will for him. “For me, it was easy because I never clung to a specific desire,” he said. “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 sense of openness is fundamental for anyone serving as a 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 added. “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.”  

Since returning to Cincinnati, Br. Jim has been serving 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.”  

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