Author: Arusi Network

Andrew Lyke is the co-authors of Marriage On A Lampstand: Exploring a New Paradigm for Modern Christian Marriage, published by Visual Dynamics Publishing. He is a nationally renowned Catholic leader in the areas of Family Life Ministry, Anti-racism, Community Organizing, and Black Catholic Outreach. From 2011 to 2015 he was the Director of the Office for Black Catholics in the Archdiocese of Chicago. In that role he produced and hosted the weekly radio show “God’s Praises Tell: The Voice of Black Catholics”; he published and edited the monthly e-magazine “The Drum”, and disseminated both productions to local and national audiences. He was also a regular host of the local TV show “The Church, the Cardinal, And You”. From 1999 to 2009 Andrew was the Coordinator of Marriage Ministry for the Archdiocese of Chicago. In that role he was the principle writer of “In the Spirit of Cana,” the Marriage Ministry Guidelines for the Archdiocese of Chicago. He has been involved in ministry to the Church in America in a variety of ways for over 30 years. From 1996 to 1999 he served as a campus minister at DePaul University, his alma mater. With Terri, his wife since 1975, Andrew designed the Arusi Retreat for Christian Marriages, which they have presented across the United States. He is a national trainer of curricula used in the Healthy Marriage Initiative, i.e., FOCCUS and Exploring Relationships and Marriage with Fragile Families. Andrew and Terri have written articles for local and national publications on Christian Married Life. They are the founders of Arusi Network, Inc., an organization that educates African Americans on the skills and benefits of Christian marriage. They are the conveners of the National Black Catholic Marriage & Family Symposium. Together they served as advisors to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Marriage and Family. Andrew has served as a board member for the Catholic Network of Volunteer Services, and is a former Secretary of the National Advisory Council of the USCCB. In February of 2012 Andrew and Terri were on the cover of St. Anthony Messenger, which featured their article, “12 Keys to a Sacramental Marriage.” In that same month The Liguorian published an article by Andrew title, “Forging a Commitment to Love All: Creating an Anti-Racist Church,” which was also the cover article. In the summer of 2009 the Lykes were a regular feature on American Catholic Radio’s weekly segment “Marriage Moment.” In September 2009 they were summoned by the Pontifical Council for the Family to travel to Rome, Italy to consult in the planning for an International Conference for the Family. Later that same month they were signatories of the Marriage Proclamation, signed at the historic Emancipation Tree on the campus of Hampton University in Virginia. Andrew and Terri were the 1995 recipients of the Augustus Tolton Archdiocesan Award, the 2005 Bishop Quarter Award for the Archdiocese of Chicago, the 2012 Paluch Family Foundation Award, 2016 Cardinal Bernardin Common Ground Award from the Association of Chicago Priests, and the 2017 Legacy Award from the Sister Thea Bowman Foundation. They are the parents of two married young adults and the grandparents of four granddaughters. They are parishioners at Sacred Heart Church in Joliet, Illinois.