Going Forward
After a series of delays in getting into Brazil with the appropriate visa, new Lay Missioner, James Pawlowicz, arrives and shares his happenings that first week.
Witness Brazil
Maryknoll Lay Missioners, Kathy & Flavio, are looking forward to celebrating 50 years of Maryknoll’s presence in Brazil this July, and they hope you will join them.
A Mother’s Unconditional Love
Maryknoll Lay Missioner, Juan Gomez, shares a reflection of the unconditional love expressed by Juanita to her epileptic son and his multiple seizures a day.
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.
A life shaped by mission and friendship
An early co-director of Maryknoll Lay Missioners, Chuck Lathrop helped guide the organization through its earliest years while carrying a lifelong commitment to mission across continents. He is remembered with gratitude by family, friends, and missioners around the world.
Catholic search party finds migrant remains in desert
Maryknoll Lay Missioner Heidi Cerneka, an immigration lawyer at the border, joined Jesuits and other volunteers on a sobering mission.
An elder’s mission to form good men
As he balances graduate studies by Zoom, missioner Francis Wayne continues his mission in Kenya—walking alongside incarcerated youth and men in recovery, offering steady presence, practical skills, and hope rooted in dignity and community.
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.
A shared “yes” to mission
Maryknoll Lay Missioners sent forth eight new missioners to serve in communities across the Americas and Africa.
A missioner’s long legacy of faith and service
A refugee turned missioner and beloved community leader, Son Nguyen devoted his life to others—from Houston’s Vietnamese Catholic community to vulnerable children and families in Bolivia. He is remembered for his courage, kindness, and the love he poured into every act.
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.
A new chapter opens for a mission—and for the missioner
As Uzima Centre enters a time of leadership transition, Maryknoll lay missioner Joanne Miya reflects on positive change—from expanded apprenticeships and nonviolence education to new spiritual accompaniment at the Lake House of Prayer—while trusting the next generation to carry the work forward.
Podcast spotlights Maryknoll missioners Anita and Curt Klueg’s years in Kenya
Anita and Curt Klueg, who served in Kenya with Maryknoll Lay Missioners alongside their two daughters, are featured in a recent episode of the “1 Christian 1 Topic” podcast. The couple discusses their ministries with children and families, the challenges of raising a family overseas, and the lasting impact of their mission experience on their lives back in the United States.
Jubilee marks a new horizon for mission
Executive Director Elvira Ramirez reflects on Maryknoll Lay Missioners’ Golden Jubilee celebration. Drawing on the themes and voices of the Jubilee gathering, Elvira invites us to join in honoring the past while embracing the vision of a promising future rooted in faith, community, and God’s enduring presence.
Maryknoll Magazine: Holy ground in Kitale
Maryknoll lay missioner Theresa Glaser follows her calling to Kenya, where she serves as a teacher for children at risk of homelessness.
Celebrating the life of Sam Stanton
Sam Stanton (Class of 1985) served Maryknoll Lay Missioners in many different capacities for more than 33 years, including 10 years as executive director. During his 13 years as a lay missioner in southern Chile he worked in social and rural development and headed up Catholic Social Services in the Diocese of Linares.
National Catholic Reporter: 50 years on, Maryknoll lay missioners celebrate lives changed by service
Maryknoll lay missioners from across the globe were invigorated by messages of hope during a weekend gathering in Ossining, New York, that culminated a yearlong 50th anniversary celebration.
OSV News: Maryknoll Lay Missioners mark 50 years doing ‘a world of good for a world in need’
In an era of conflict and division, it’s an intriguing and empowering invitation: “Do a world of good for a world in need.” It comes from the Maryknoll Lay Missioners — a Catholic mission-sending community that tirelessly spreads a message of nonviolence through “prevention, intervention, reconciliation, and the restoration of all creation.”
From chalkboard to keyboard
When Theresa Glaser arrived in Kenya as a Maryknoll lay missioner, she longed to serve the “poorest of the poor.” At St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Center, where vulnerable children prepare for formal schooling, Theresa found her calling not just in witnessing poverty, but in changing futures. By helping equip a computer lab and printer station, she’s helped lift both students and teachers from the margins of the digital world into a space of opportunity and hope.
Hunger in Kenya’s breadbasket
In Kitale, Kenya—an area known as the country’s breadbasket—abundant maize fields stretch to the horizon. Yet hunger persists in nearby villages, where families walk miles asking for food. Missioner Kathy Flatoff joins the Daughters of Charity in their tireless work to feed the poorest of the poor through a small but vital nutrition program. Amid scarcity, rising costs, and heartbreaking choices, their ministry offers a glimpse of God’s presence among those who suffer most.
Smiling in the face of adversity
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.
Radical welcome: Spirit of Mission Award goes to Celine and Don Woznica for migrant ministry
Returned Maryknoll lay missioners Don and Celine Woznica mobilized their suburban Chicago community to create a hub of hospitality for thousands of migrants—offering food, clothing, housing support, and accompaniment. Their lifelong commitment to mission and justice is now being honored with the 2025 Bishop John E. McCarthy Spirit of Mission Award.
Vision magazine profiled Sr. Deirdre Griffin, Maryknoll lay missioner at the border
Sr. Deirdre Griffin, an immigration lawyer in El Paso who accompanies asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, was featured in the latest issue of the publication of the National Religious Vocation Conference, highlighting her deep commitment to justice and human dignity.
FaithND reflection by Notre Dame alum highlights Maryknoll Lay Missioners’ work in El Paso
In a recent FaithND Gospel reflection, Notre Dame alumnus James Luk recounts his time with Maryknoll Lay Missioners in El Paso, where he witnessed the power of faith lived out through daily service to migrants at the border.
Mango tree cathedrals: Healing, justice, and hope in Northern Uganda
In the quiet shade of mango trees across Northern Uganda, Maryknoll lay missioners Marj Humphrey and Joanne Blaney met with parish leaders, teachers, and refugees who are putting lessons of healing, nonviolence, and restorative justice into practice. From remote village churches to camps along the South Sudan border, these open-air gatherings have become places of listening, courage, and renewal. Here, amid deep scars of conflict and loss, communities are finding new ways to mend relationships and move forward—together.
Angel Mountain
In a time of profound personal transition, missioner Rick Dixon reflects on loss, vocation, and the thin veil between this life and the next. As he leaves his ministry in Mexicali, Mexico, and returns to El Salvador, Rick shares the deeply moving story of his late niece, Kirsty Angel Mountain—her struggles with mental illness, her spiritual insight, and the lasting imprint she leaves on his heart and mission.
Trafficked across borders: Migrants trapped by deception, violence, and injustice
Across borders and continents, vulnerable migrants are coerced into forced labor, sexual exploitation, and criminal activity. Maryknoll lay missioner Heidi Cerneka shares stories of courage, survival, and the urgent call to defend human dignity. On World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, bear witness—and take action.
Remembering Atiak: 30 years after the massacre
In 1995, the massacre in Atiak, Uganda, claimed scores of lives—but unlike tragedies elsewhere, it passed with little notice from the world. Thirty years later, Maryknoll lay missioner Marj Humphrey returns to the place that has haunted her memory, bearing witness to both the scars of the past and the quiet perseverance of those who remain.
The smile of accomplishment speaks louder than letters
In a small library in El Cedro, El Salvador, a simple typing class becomes a quiet but powerful lesson in patience, persistence, and pride. Maryknoll lay missioner Josh Wetmore reflects on how the struggle to master one stubborn keyboard key becomes a moment of transformation—for his student Gabriela, and for himself.
Maryknoll Lay Missioners celebrates 50 years of global mission
Celebrating a milestone anniversary, Maryknoll Lay Missioners honors an inspiring past, a compelling present, and a strong future.
Le Monde diplomatique highlights Maryknoll lay missioner’s witness to Honduran land rights struggle
Missioner Sarah Bueter contributed as a source to an article in international newspaper Le Monde diplomatique that recounts the life, activism, and tragic murder of Honduran environmental defender Juan López, who was killed in September 2024 amid ongoing conflicts over mining and land rights in the Bajo Aguán region.
Fresh start brings new energy and opportunity to Uzima Centre
Uzima Centre in Tanzania is embracing exciting changes with new leadership and office space. As the Learn & Earn program empowers more young people with practical skills and hope for the future, the center continues to transform lives—thanks to the generosity of its supporters.
A cardinal’s blessing, a bhikkhuni’s wisdom
During the 8th Buddhist-Christian Colloquium in Phnom Penh, Maryknoll lay missioner Hang Tran experienced powerful encounters of interfaith compassion and connection—from a Vatican cardinal’s visit to a home for the differently abled to a Vietnamese Buddhist monastic’s loving support for her foster daughter’s conversion to Catholicism.
Resilience prevails at the border
Amid shelter closures and rising challenges for migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border, Maryknoll lay missioner Coralis Salvador and her community in El Paso lean on faith and solidarity. Through healing workshops, peaceful advocacy, and border immersion programs, they are nurturing hope and truth in a time of uncertainty and fear.
Butt-bumping on the bus
Pressed shoulder to shoulder in the sweltering heat of El Salvador, Maryknoll lay missioner Sarah Bueter reflects on the discomfort of cultural difference—and the deeper discomfort of confronting her own anger. In tight spaces and shared struggles, she discovers unexpected lessons in humility, compassion, and the sacred work of letting go.
Kenya missioner Francis Wayne profiled by hometown Kentucky newspaper
The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer delved into Francis’ life story, call to mission, and current ministry in vocational training, remedial academics, and prison ministry.
Returned missioners Celine and Don Woznica featured by National Catholic Reporter
The Woznicas have been leaders in organizing assistance for migrants in their hometown of Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago. Their ministry has served some 15,000 migrants in the last three years.
Peace-building project expands in Brazilian public schools
Maryknoll Lay Missioners Kathy Bond and Flávio Rocha collaborate with local partners to bring healing, mindfulness, and hope to students and educators on the outskirts of João Pessoa.
Taco-Cat, teasing, and togetherness
At Cambodia’s Deaf Development Programme, Maryknoll lay missioner Julie Lawler helps lead an afterschool program where games, crafts, mentorship, and laughter create a vibrant space for deaf young adults to connect, grow, and be themselves.
Shared knowledge strengthens disability outreach
In Bolivia’s rural municipalities of Tacopaya and Entre Ríos, Maryknoll lay missioners Joe Loney and Filo Siles are helping transform how local governments serve people with disabilities. By creating a shared digital database and training municipal staff, they’re ensuring that vital information leads to more dignified, responsive, and sustainable care.
She stole my heart!
Pentecost calls us to carry the Spirit into the world—and your support helps missioners to be witnesses of light, love, and healing where it’s needed most.
Love makes a home
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.
Tres salvadoreños enviados a Bolivia
Los Misioneros Laicos Maryknoll celebran un nuevo paso en la misión intercultural.
Three Salvadorans sent to serve in Bolivia
Maryknoll Lay Missioners celebrates a new step in intercultural mission.
Global Sisters Report announces Maryknoll Monarch Initiative, a collaborative of Maryknoll Lay Missioners and Maryknoll Sister
A project of National Catholic Reporter that covers the the mission and ministry of Catholic women religious around the world reported on the newly formed Maryknoll Monarch Initiative, based in El Paso, Texas, an education and training program with a focus on Care for the Earth, Human Migration, and Nonviolence among other priorities.
Books and bytes
In a remote Salvadoran village, Josh Wetmore’s education-based mission work continues to evolve with each passing year. From bringing library books directly into classrooms to reviving dusty computer labs, two initiatives are bridging gaps in literacy and technology—one borrowed book and double-click at a time.
“Misioneros de Esperanza”: Celebración Eucarística Firma de la Alianza
Los Misioneros Laicos de Maryknoll expresamos nuestro sincero agradecimiento por celebrar este evento importante con nosotros, ¡tanto en persona como en línea! Nos regocijamos en los compromisos personales de Gaby Hernández, Wilber Montoya y Ana Morales y en esta etapa de recibir miembros internacionales fuera de los EE. UU. como organización.
Even for the dead there are walls
Along the U.S.–Mexico border in California’s Imperial Valley, missioner Rick Dixon describes how the human cost of immigration policy is devastatingly clear. Here, steel barriers and irrigation canals claim the lives of those simply trying to survive. Just miles away, in an unmarked field behind a small-town cemetery, the bodies of the unnamed lie buried behind NO TRESPASSING signs. Here, grief meets witness.
Maryknoll lay missioner Marj Humphrey featured in Gonzaga Magazine
Marj Humphrey’s return to mission to East Africa earlier this year was covered in the Spring 2025 issue of Gonzaga Magazine, the publication of her alma mater.
Pope Francis: A legacy of mission
Maryknoll Lay Missioners joins the Church and the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis.
Maryknoll Lay Missioners welcomes international members
On March 14, three El Salvadoran candidates departed for Cochabamba, Bolivia, where they will be engaged in the orientation and formation program. Upon completion in mid-May, they will remain in mission in Bolivia.
Easter blessings!
This sacred season of Easter reminds us that hope is alive, and through faith and service, lives are renewed each day.
Nothing forgotten, everything forgiven
In a region long haunted by the terror of violence, memories of war—stolen childhoods, ruptured families, and unspeakable loss—underpin daily life in northern Uganda. Yet voices rise—and not in vengeance. Here, survivors and peacemakers gather in quiet circles, daring to believe that healing begins by facing the past with courage and compassion. Missioner Marj Humphrey joins them in restoring dignity and reconciling relationships.
Seeds of healing on holy ground
Nearly two decades after the guns fell silent, wounds still run deep in northern Uganda. Among the resilient Acholi people—survivors of war, displacement, and profound trauma—local leaders are rising to rebuild community through restorative justice and compassion. Missioner Joanne Blaney walks alongside them, listening, learning, and witnessing the quiet strength of healing hearts.
A heart bowed in faith
At the Home of Hope in Cambodia, where missioner Hang Tran serves, children with diverse abilities navigate daily challenges with resilience and joy, among them, Simon—a spirited young boy with Down syndrome. Though his struggles with hygiene are well-known, his spontaneous moments of devotion reveal a deeper truth: a longing for the divine, a thirst for something greater. Through his simple yet profound gestures of worship, Simon teaches us all about the cycles of cleansing and renewal, both physical and spiritual.
Maryknoll Lay Missioners and Maryknoll Sisters collaborate on Maryknoll Monarch Initiative
The inaugural event of the newly formed Maryknoll Monarch Initiative was the “Hope & Resilience at the Border” workshop on March 18. Its mission is the empowerment of individuals and communities through education, advocacy, and transformative experience.
Hope restored
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.
Ministry of presence
In a Salvadoran public hospital, a group of church women in starched blue vests tend to the sick—not just with prayers, but with a radical compassion that sees no distinction between the healer and the suffering. Missioner Sarah Bueter shares how their ministry is a quiet yet profound act of solidarity in a system that often fails the most vulnerable.
A lifeline of hope
From providing essential school supplies to supporting life-saving medical care, Uzima Centre is making a difference in the lives of vulnerable individuals in Tanzania. Children are getting the education they deserve, families are learning the power of saving, and those living with HIV are receiving critical care. From missioner Joanne Miya, here’s how your support is changing lives.
A heart for service
A journey of service, faith, and unexpected grace unfolds in Cambodia, where missioner Thu Tam (T.T.) Hoang’s call to accompany others has led to a mission far greater than imagined. From aiding trafficking victims to launching a new seafarers’ outreach, the path is ever evolving—one step at a time, in trust and patience.
What love is
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.
The miracle of a humble library
In Riwoto, South Sudan, the opening of a new Learning Resource Center at Tim Galvin Secondary School is providing a rare opportunity for students to engage with books, technology, and a modern approach to learning. With a new library, computer lab, and growing resources, this project is helping students develop essential skills, from reading comprehension to computer literacy, and offering them a brighter future.
