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.
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.
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!
When missioner Louise Locke joined Maryknoll Lay Missioners, she was certain that her vocation was to accompany the elderly through aging and death. But God had other plans. A chance encounter with a woman dedicated to uplifting vulnerable mothers and children challenged her assumptions. And then came Jenifer—a 5-year-old whose unconditional love completely disarmed her.
“Mustard Seed Dining Room” nourishes bodies, uplifts spirits in Bolivia
Missioner Joe Loney relates how his wife and fellow missioner Filo Siles hears and responds to “the cry of the poor” among older adults in Bolivia—and learns that meeting one need often leads to another.
Joy in the moment
Vastly more important than “results” is the inherent sacredness of the present moment with the frail, abandoned, and traumatized people God has brought into the life of missioner Louise Locke through her ministries in Bolivia.
The transformative power of love
The act of service and care for another can help even those with the hardest hearts break down their walls of self-protection.
A lifelong dedication to community building
Frank and Josie Cuda of MKLM’s very first ‘class of 1975’ share their story.
Tackling gender-based violence in Bolivia
Louise Locke reflects on the hard lives of older women in Cochabamba
‘Unless you become like children, …’
Edwin and Elmer taught me to appreciate and revel in the joy and beauty of an inclusive moment.
Miracle on Carretera Petrolera
Louise Locke recounts a ‘Christmas miracle’ and an acute water shortage.
