The history of Maryknoll in Latin America is rich and deep. Our commitment to the promotion of social justice and peace in the region cost several of our missioners their lives during the years of oppression, including Fr. Bill Woods, MM in Guatemala (1976), and Sisters Ita Ford, MM, Maura Clarke, MM and Carla Piete, MM in El Salvador in 1980. Some, like Fr. Miguel D’Escoto in Nicaragua, have served in public roles in support of those who live in poverty. Countless others have accompanied the Central American people in their daily struggles for survival, for social justice, for an end to the violence that destroys their communities; for new life.
Among the particular concerns of Maryknoll in Latin America are poverty, its causes and consequences; migration and refugees; health care, especially holistic care that includes good nutrition and preventative care; access to essential medicines for treatable or curable illness; HIV and AIDS; the rights and dignity of women and children; the response of authorities to the growth in gang violence; mining concessions; just trade agreements; debt cancellation; small and subsistence farming and other work accessible to people who are poor; and environmental destruction.
Catholic bishops from eight dioceses in Texas, Arizona, and California issued a statement criticizing President Donald Trump’s announcement on April 4 that he would deploy National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.
A fact-finding mission in 2017 has led to changes by the World Bank and the government of Brazil to address land grabbing and environmental destruction by plantations connected to international investment funds.
Maryknoll Lay Missioner Tim Ross in El Salvador reflects on God’s answer to the cries of all those who are suffering.
Dallana Contreras of Cáritas Colombia wrote the following article about her work with communities defending their land rights against national and international economic interests in the Amazon and Orinoco regions.
Pope Francis continues to raise the importance of the Amazon region, its indigenous communities and unique natural environment, to the Church and the world. But questions remain and more dialogue is needed.
The following reflection was prepared by Maryknoll Sr. Efu Nyaki, who works with women in Brazil.
Maryknoll Father Stephen Judd reflects on restoring relationships during the season of Lent.
Maryknoll Father Dennis Moorman in Brazil reflects on Jesus’ call for transformation of our sinful social structures as well as ourselves.
From our 2018 Lenten Reflection Guide: Embracing Jesus’ Practice of Nonviolence
Statement by emergency delegation to Honduras, January 24, 2018.
Dwayne Fernandes, a Maryknoll Lay Missioner in El Salvador, reflects on God’s call to heal a broken humanity.
Maryknoll Father Paul Masson shares a story about a parish in Bolivia that is answering God’s call to be a prophetic community.
The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns strongly objects to the announcement made by the Department of Homeland Security on January 8, 2018 that more than 200,000 people from El Salvador who have been living and working legally in the United States with Temporary Protected Status must leave within the next 18 months or face deportation.
Stories from migrants on the Mexico-side of the border and volunteers offering water on the U.S.-side.
The Brazilian small-scale farmers movement led a hunger strike in the first week of December as part of the massive protests against what some have called the most socially regressive austerity package in the world.
A Maryknoll-supported legal collective in Peru brought an amicus brief as part of trade tribunal case which was decided on November 30.
#ReplaceNAFTA Call-In Day is December 13. After then, keep calling!
Maryknoll Sister Ann Braudis reflects on the Advent themes of darkness, light, waiting for Christ and welcoming the stranger.
