When tragedy left Lucy a widow with three children, no income, and eventually homeless, hope seemed out of reach. But through the compassionate outreach of missioner Rich Tarro and the HOPE Project, her family found support—food, school fees, and most of all, dignity. Rich shares how mission is less about solving the world’s problems and more about meeting Jesus in others and bringing light to those walking in darkness.
The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer delved into Francis’ life story, call to mission, and current ministry in vocational training, remedial academics, and prison ministry.
When a mother of six lost her husband and her children’s future, grace showed up in the form of schooling, solar light, and the simple joy of a bed. Maryknoll lay missioner Rich Tarro shares the story of Mwanahamisi, whose resilience and faith shines through hardship, and whose children are now dreaming again.
As the Catholic Church celebrates the Jubilee Year of Hope, the HOPE Project embodies its spirit—transforming the lives of orphans and vulnerable children through education, care, and opportunity.
In the heart of Kitale, Kenya, the resilience of the very poor offers a profound reflection on love as described by St. Paul. Through their patience, humility, and endurance—writes missioner Theresa Glaser—they embody virtues that challenge the comfort of wealth and privilege.
“Two accomplishments describe my success as a missioner,” says Francis Wayne in Kenya. “One, I have given to boys knowledge of options so that they might choose a lifestyle that keeps them out of trouble, and two, I have changed. Both are equally significant.”
Maryknoll lay missioners were commissioned to serve in Bolivia and East Africa during a Sending Ceremony in Ossining, New York on Dec. 7, 2024.
Watch the ceremony online as we sent forth Josh Sisolak and Marj Humphrey at the Maryknoll Sisters’ chapel in Ossining, New York on Dec. 7, 2024.
Starting in 1987, Marj Humphrey served as a Maryknoll lay missioner in East Africa for 20 years. Upon her return to the United States, she served on Maryknoll Lay Missioners’ board of directors, then as director of missions for six years until she retired. 2025 marks her return from retirement—and to mission in her beloved East Africa.
“Divinity is always where one least expects to find it,” wrote Fulton Sheen. And so it is for missioner Rich Tarro in his ministry work in Kenya, where he discovers Christ again and again in the children, women, and men that HOPE project serves.
Returned missioner Marj Humphrey dedicated two decades to addressing health disparities in East Africa. At long last, she’s going back to continue advocating for justice there.
