A New Chapter in a Familiar Story
After 6 years in Tanzania, Susanne Beentjes thought she knew the area and culture. With her new outlook through the lens of MKLM, she’s experiencing it in a whole new way.
You Are Not Alone
Veteran Lay Missioner, Joe Loney, recently got to observe the ministries of one of our newest lay missioners, Wilber Montoya. He shares a beautiful reflection of his observations with us here.
A small village, a wider world
From Ordinary Time to extraordinary resilience, missioner Sarah Bueter reflects on what it means to live alongside a community in El Salvador shaped by memory, faith, and unfinished hope.
Learning to see possibility
At the Home of Hope in Cambodia, small, patient acts of accompaniment help young people with developmental challenges discover new confidence, connection, and joy.
Dignity restored through community
Through parish accompaniment and shared meals, Maryknoll lay missioners Filo Siles and Joe Loney are helping older adults in Cochabamba reclaim belonging and hope amid the challenges of aging.
Dust trails toward the heart of God
From mountain villages to dense urban neighborhoods in El Salvador, Maryknoll lay missioner Rick Dixon accompanies children whose courage and joy reveal God’s glory in the everyday. Through broken-down buses, makeshift libraries, and a growing circle of young “librarians,” he witnesses a community stitching together learning, belonging, and hope—one small hand at a time.
At a crossroads on the border: Challenges faced, next steps emerging
Amid a shifting border landscape, Maryknoll lay missioner Coralis Salvador reports on court accompaniment, shelter realities, and the groups who joined the Encuentro Project this year—anchored by a renewed sense of call and calm discernment.
Pilot program for vulnerable families in Bolivia reports dramatic results
In the Cochabamba suburb of Tiquipaya, a new program is offering families a path out of poverty, instability, and domestic violence. Led by Maryknoll lay missioner Louise Locke and a local psychologist, the center has already shown remarkable impact: children gaining confidence and skills, parents strengthening relationships, and one family in particular breaking a long-entrenched cycle of violence. With a growing waiting list, the program now hopes to expand so more families can find safety, support, and a dignified future.
A culture of peace broadens its reach
With Project AFYA reaching more than 5,000 students in Brazil and EcoRetreats now being replicated in the United States, missioners Kathy Bond and Flavio Rocha report a year marked by expansion and impact. Their ministries continue to reduce school violence, strengthen emotional resilience, and inspire communities to reconnect with creation.
Farewell to Fr. Charlie: A legacy of 25 years in Cambodia
For a quarter century, Fr. Charles Dittmeier has been a steady presence in Cambodia—walking alongside the deaf community, celebrating Eucharist with international parishioners, and sharing life with Maryknoll missioners and friends. At his side for part of this journey has been missioner Julie Lawler, who joined in interpreting, celebrating, and honoring his life of service. As Fr. Charlie retires and returns home to Kentucky, three heartfelt celebrations in Phnom Penh marked his profound impact, his wisdom, and the countless relationships he nurtured.
Immaculate’s path from survival to leadership
When missioner Joanne Blaney arrived in Uganda to accompany survivors of the Lord’s Resistance Army, she met women whose lives bore the heaviest burdens of violence. One of them, Immaculate Adong, was only eight when her father was killed in the 1995 Atiak massacre. Today, she manages a women’s cooperative that empowers survivors with skills, solidarity, and hope—showing how faith and resilience can rebuild lives and communities.
