“My heart is full of love for others. That’s why I feel this desire to help—and that’s how I grow spiritually.” – Gabriela Hernández, Salvadoran Maryknoll lay missioner serving in Bolivia
“Christians are called to hand on the Good News by sharing the concrete life situations of those whom they meet, and thus to be bearers and builders of hope. Indeed, the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted, are the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well.”
The Second Vatican Concil: Gaudium et Spes
Dear friends,
Greetings to you as we prepare for this year’s upcoming World Mission Month!
Each October, we join the universal Church in honoring those who give their lives to share the Good News beyond their home cultures and borders. In anticipation, Pope Francis called us to be “Missionaries of Hope Among all Peoples.” What a fitting invitation—for all of us.
Today, I want to share with you a historic moment of hope that you helped make possible. Your ongoing support sustains the good work that has begun!
This past May, we joyfully commissioned Ana Morales, Wilber Montoya, and Gabriela Hernández to serve as Maryknoll lay missioners in Bolivia. What makes this commissioning extraordinary is that all three missioners are from El Salvador—the first time in our 50-year history that Maryknoll Lay Missioners has sent forth a mission team formed entirely outside the United States.
They are missionaries of hope not only because of where they serve—but also because of who they are. They come from communities shaped by poverty and resilience, and now they are bringing that same spirit of solidarity and love to some of the most remote and underserved corners of our world.
“Serving those on the margins offers a radical way of living out the Catholic faith in today’s world.” – Josh Sisolak, U.S. Maryknoll lay missioner in Bolivia
At their Covenant Signing Ceremony, they chose the theme “Missioners of Hope.” They are living that call now—with Indigenous communities who have long been marginalized.
Ana and Gabriela are beginning their work in TIPNIS (the Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory), home to the Tsimané, Yuracaré, and Mojeño-Trinitario peoples. There, alongside the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, they will support Indigenous communities facing environmental destruction, displacement, and threats to their ancestral ways of life.
Wilber is beginning his ministry with the Social Justice Foundation, which serves those with disabilities in two communities—the municipality of Tacopaya and the growing town of Entre Rios in the tropical region of Bolivia. Wilbur will be located in the latter. He joins Maryknoll lay missioner Joe Loney, who also serves with the Foundation, in the mission of accompaniment that brings not only practical support but also the transformative power of dignity and presence to the excluded.
And in December, Josh Sisolak, our newest U.S. lay missioner, was also sent to Bolivia. He joins Ana and Gabriela in TIPNIS, forming a multicultural, intercontinental mission team, grounded in community and committed to service and hope. It is a beautiful sign of what mission can be—when we cross borders not just physically, but with open hearts.
At the heart of missionary disciples is hope! We are diverse, rooted in local cultures, and centered on solidarity that is formed by love, justice, and hope. And you are a vital part of it.
When you support Maryknoll Lay Missioners, you are sending not just individuals—you are sending hope and witnesses of God’s love for all peoples. You are part of something that extends to our human family.
Mission is only possible because of you and the individuals who respond to God’s call to serve others. Your prayers, your generosity, and your belief in a more just and compassionate world allow missioners like Ana, Wilber, Gabriela, and Josh to go where they are most needed—and to stay, to build relationships, and to accompany communities in need for the long haul.
As we look ahead to World Mission Sunday on Oct. 19, I invite you to reflect on Pope Francis’ call. And I ask you to consider making a special World Mission Month gift to Maryknoll Lay Missioners.
Let’s continue walking together—as missionaries of hope among all peoples.
In hope and shared purpose,
Elvira Ramirez
Executive Director
P.S. Please make your gift for World Mission Month now by clicking on the button below.
And if we may pray for you and for those you love, please add your prayer intentions here as well. Thank you!
Elvira Ramirez is Maryknoll Lay Missioners’ executive director.
