Voices of Our World

It is, for me, a great joy and happiness to receive the good news of the election of our Holy Father Leo XIV. It is also a great honor to learn that Pope Leo XIV received his Master in Divinity degree from Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago – the theological institution where I and many other Maryknollers have been sent to complete our a...

I was listening to the radio while driving when the news broke; white smoke arising from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney. I pulled over at the next restaurant – a pizzeria – and rushed in to find patrons watching the news from Rome on CNN. I ordered a slice of pizza not because I was hungry but to pass the time while awaiting the new pope to eme...

A Shared Experience When I saw the headlines that the first American Pope had been elected, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the new Pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, OSA, had received his Master of Divinity degree from Catholic Theological Union (CTU), the same seminary where I had begun studying just ten years later. CTU is located ...

Habemus Papam! For the past twelve years, Pope Francis led the Church as an intellectual who happened to be a pastor – and a pastor who happened to be an intellectual. I will personally remember him for encouraging priests to spend time crafting their homilies in ways that touch not only the ears but the hearts of the faithful. How can we forget ...

On December 24th, 2024, Pope Francis opened the Holy Doors of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, officially inaugurating the Church’s Jubilee year. Our Jubilee theme this year: Hope! In western Christianity, the celebration of jubilee years first arose from the journey of pilgrims to Rome in 1299. They traveled long distances by foot to pray before ...

What does “Eucharist”What does “Eucharist” mean to you as a missioner?mean to you as a missioner? Papam! “After my first Holy Communion, I always felt that the Eucharist offered me a desire and drive to go out into the world to do something on Christ’s behalf. Yet, in this journey of being a Maryknoll Missioner, I find more and more eac...

On a city street of asphalt and concretewhere last winter’s ice cracks a stubborn sidewalk,a defiant dandelion takes root and proudlyPuts forth its floral sunburst. A young couple prays test results will confirmIf this time the Lord will at last bless them with new lifeEven as a world away another couple awaits wordAn orphaned child will soon mak...

Over this past year, as before, the vocations office has accompanied many young men in discernment. We are blessed, through them, to discover that God continues to call the young of our world to be missionary priests and Brothers. Missionaries are sent forth to give witness to the greatest story ever told; Jesus’ story always inspires awe and won...

A common question discerners ask me is, “Where does the desire to serve the poor overseas come from?” Our deepest desires and longings are found in a very special place in our heart. Our intellect knows God, our heart desires God. And when our intellect and heart familiarizes with God, we also get in touch not only with the way God sees the wor...

What motivates these prove souls to overcomeFears, doubts and, oft times, it seemsEven common sense to goNo, run towards that from which most people flee? And who are these who lay aside concernFor their own health and safety to ministerTo strangers, whose only claim to assistanceIs their desperate need for hello and healing? How is it thot despite...

When Maryknollers return from abroad to our Center in New York, they often bring home the characteristics and concerns of peoples they’ve come to know and love in mission. Some Maryknollers return passionate about social justice causes that improve the lives of so many faced with violence, poverty and oppression. Some Maryknollers return deeply c...

Dear friends, Thanks for reading “Voices of Our World.” One of the questions I receive often from young adults is “Why do you stay in this vocation as priest?” Or, another way to put it, why haven’t I left? Whenever I consider these questions, I’m reminded of wisdom shared with me by the late Maryknoll Fr. Jim Stefaniak, MM, who served ...