In 2012, Maryknoll lay missioner Marj Humphrey was honored by her alma mater, Gonzaga University, with the DeSmet Medal for Christian Service (one of Gonzaga’s highest honors), and she gave the commencement address that year to the graduate students. Marj is back in the news at Gonzaga in the Spring 2025 issue of the university’s magazine for her return to mission.
From the Spring 2025 issue of Gonzaga Magazine:
A Return to Service
By Thea Skokan (’22)
Retirement proved too restful for Marj Humphrey (’74, ’75 M.A.).
Having stepped down from her role as director of missions for Maryknoll Lay Missioners in 2022, the tireless advocate is returning to on-the-ground work in Africa. Over 20 years in Kenya and in southern Sudan, she honed her skills as a physician assistant, providing care in areas that often lack basic resources.
When she returned to the United States in 2007, she joined the Maryknoll Lay Missioners’ board of directors, eventually becoming director of missions.
But Humphrey longed to reconnect with the communities that shaped her. Her new role in restorative justice focuses on teaching members of the Ugandan and Kenyan communities about violence prevention.
She graduated from Gonzaga with a bachelor’s degree in communications and religious studies, later earning a master’s in counseling. In 2012, Gonzaga awarded her the DeSmet Medal for Christian Service, one of the University’s highest honors.
Whatever she’s doing, Humphrey hopes to never stop trying to make the world a more peaceful place.
Download the Spring 2025 issue of Gonzaga Magazine.
Compelled by faith to engage with people across cultures and ethnicities, Maryknoll lay missioners live, love and work with communities on the margins to promote active nonviolence and healing.
