Justice and Peace
All of our missioners strive to create a more just and compassionate world through focusing on the needs of people experiencing poverty or marginalization. Some missioners, however, have a special focus on peace or justice through ministries that train leaders in conflict resolution; assist groups working for human rights; promote interreligious dialogue; advocate for and work with groups experiencing marginalization as they strive for equity and inclusion; and support local efforts to dismantle racism, classism, and sexism.
Empowerment and Inclusion
Maryknoll lay missioners work with vulnerable groups such as deaf people, children with disabilities, populations with HIV/AIDS, and immigrants to advocate for their just treatment, help reduce stigma, and promote greater access to resources and inclusion in society.
Dialogue
Maryknoll lay missioners work to promote dialogue, mutual understanding, and conflict transformation, especially among groups that are in conflict or in places where there is a high level of violence.
Our missioners in Justice and Peace
Featured stories
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.
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.
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.
