By Ann Hayden, M.M. Sunday, December 7, 2025Is. 11:1-10 | Rom. 15:4-9| Matthew 3:1-12 Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: All flesh shall see the salvation of God. — Luke 3:4-6 Pope Leo XIV, in his recent Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te, said “Love for the Lord, then, is one with love for the poor. The same Jesus wh...
Deirdre Cornell served as a Maryknoll lay missioner in Mexico. She is author of three Orbis Books, including Jesus Was a Migrant and American Madonna: Crossing Borders with the Virgin Mary, and currently works on the staff of Maryknoll Magazine.
Missioner Tales, Winter 2026
In Kenya, where I am serving as a Maryknoll lay missioner in the HOPE Project, I met a widow named Lucy. After the death of her husband in 2020, Lucy was left to care for three children with barely any means. Her youngest son, Athman, is now 13 years old but is only in sixth grade. He fell behind because he was in and out of school, depending on wh...
Pope Leo’s Wisdom for Seminarians
A Maryknoll seminarian reflects on his visit to the Vatican for the Jubilee of Seminarians. I am grateful that I was able to attend the Jubilee of Seminarians, along with my fellow Maryknoll seminarian Samuel Mutuku, last June 23 and 24. Rome’s summer heat was unmerciful, but fortunately most events were held indoors. The main gathering was the m...
Situation in Gaza Remains ‘Critical,’ Catholic Leaders Say
By Gina Christian, OSV News (OSV News) — As Pope Leo XIV urged in Turkey last week that “the future of humanity is at stake” with ongoing conflict in the Middle East and days after a United Nations Security Council endorsement of a U.S.-backed peace plan, Catholic leaders warn that conditions in Gaza remain grave, especially as winter approac...
From the Editor: Winter 2026
Immigration — and what is happening right now to immigrants in our country — is something we simply cannot be silent about. We received various letters and comments on my interview with Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, in our Fall issue of Maryknoll, and some of them, both pro and con, are printed in our Readers’ Responses. Immigration...
‘Guard This Treasure’
A Maryknoll priest spends a lifetime in mission accompanying the people of El Salvador and honoring their martyrs. In the city of San Salvador, a street mural portrays a memorable Mass. One side of the painted altar shows images of devastation. On the other, vivid colors bring to life a thriving community. A quote on the altar cloth reads, “Guard...
Flowers from Tanzania
On June 22, the Maryknoll Sisters Center stirred with joy as Felista Wanzagi and Esther Warioba made their final vows at the Annunciation Chapel in Ossining, New York. To the tune of a song in Swahili, Sisters Wanzagi and Warioba processed to the altar, adorned with Hawaiian garlands and wearing dresses that represented their mission journeys. Sist...
Fishing for Justice in Taiwan
A Maryknoll priest and his partners in mission assist migrant fishers in Taiwan. Gerald Mustago left his home in the Philippines eight years ago to become a fisher in Taiwan, home to the world’s second largest deep-sea fishing fleet. “I couldn’t make enough money to support my wife and children, so I came here to work on the fishing boats,”...
The Darkness of This Time
A Maryknoll sister reflects on her work with migrant children and families. My commute each morning begins before dawn. Usually I welcome the darkness, which provides coolness, stillness and time for reflection. I make my way to the clinic where I work supporting at-risk moms and babies in a rural, underserved, predominantly migrant farmworker town...
God, Present in My Journey
A Maryknoll missionary disciple reflects on his story of migration and service. One day while I was studying law at the University of San Carlos in my native Guatemala, there was an evacuation order during final exams due to a bomb threat. Everyone left the building in dismay. Days later, 10 student leaders were kidnapped. Five were murdered and th...
Mango Tree Cathedrals in Uganda
Maryknoll lay missioners in East Africa lead a course in nonviolence and conflict resolution. Joanne Blaney and I, Maryknoll lay missioners, were invited to Northern Uganda last year by the Archdiocese of Gulu. Much of our work took place in the shade of huge, leafy mango trees laden with ripening fruit. The Gulu area is largely populated by a...
Prayer for Vocations, Winter 2026
In Challenging Times Dear God, in the midst of a noisy world I come before you seeking the silence to hear your voice. It is so easy to be distracted by daily headlines, the internet, phone calls and messages and all my comings and goings. In my heart I yearn for the peace and quiet to converse with you, to hear your voice alone. I know that it is ...
