{"id":6353,"date":"2026-03-02T20:15:04","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T20:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/?p=6353"},"modified":"2026-04-06T13:31:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:31:50","slug":"a-shared-yes-to-mission-by-new-lay-missioners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/a-shared-yes-to-mission-by-new-lay-missioners\/","title":{"rendered":"A Shared \u2018Yes\u2019 to Mission by New Lay Missioners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As Maryknoll Lay Missioners and friends gathered at Holy Family Church in El Paso, Texas, the language of the liturgy revolved around one simple word: \u201cyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was present in the prayers, Scripture readings and covenant signing, and explicit in the \u201cyes\u201d given by those standing at the altar. For members of the Class of 2025, the sending Mass and ceremony on Dec. 6, 2025, marked the beginning of new chapters of service across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet us pray for these new missioners as they proclaim their \u2018yes\u2019 to God\u2019s call, as they stand to proclaim \u2018yes\u2019 to hope and love through service and mission,\u201d said Elvira Ramirez<\/a>, executive director of Maryknoll Lay Missioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She named the blessings this class brings: a family with children, members from Germany and the Netherlands, years of experience gained through other organizations and the testimony of mission at different stages of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Church is not just a house that we go to,\u201d Bishop Anthony Celino<\/a> said in his homily. \u201cThe Church goes out, to proclaim boldly the Gospel.\u201d Missioners awaken us, he added, to an awareness of God, present already within people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"At
At Holy Family Church in El Paso, Texas, Bishop Anthony Celino presides at the sending Mass. (Jos\u00e9 Garc\u00eda\/U.S.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The sending followed an eight-week Orientation and Formation Program<\/a> encompassing prayer, community life, practical preparation and study on topics such as Catholic social teaching and Maryknoll\u2019s history and charism. Candidates also served in ministry along the U.S.-Mexico border, where they encountered the realities of migration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A registered nurse and certified spiritual director from Fraser, Michigan, Dorothy Ritter<\/strong> volunteered at the Detroit Catholic Worker<\/a> soup kitchen and house of hospitality for two decades. She also participated in short-term mission trips to Appalachia and Kenya and joined peace delegations to the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eight years ago, her husband died after 43 years of marriage. \u201cWe were looking forward to retirement and sharing our end-of-life years together,\u201d says Dorothy, who has two grown children and five grandchildren. \u201cI began to prayerfully discern, \u2018what now?\u2019 Through the mystery of grace I was led to Maryknoll Lay Missioners.\u201d In Kenya, she hopes to be \u201ca conduit of God\u2019s grace\u201d for others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jana Schiemenz<\/strong>, from Chemnitz, Germany, is trained in pediatric nursing, special education and rehabilitation. She has worked with people with disabilities of all ages for 15 years, mostly in Tanzania, where in Mwanza she helped establish the Tunaweza Centre for Youths with Disabilities<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Candidate
Candidate James Pawlowicz, assigned to Brazil, serves as lector. (Jos\u00e9 Garc\u00eda\/U.S.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now a lay missioner, Jana will return to Tanzania. \u201cThe way in which Jesus Christ respected the dignity and equality of all people has become an important orientation for me,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s how I want to shape my life and relate to others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Jana, Susanne Beentjes<\/strong>, originally from Purmerend in the Netherlands, was serving in Tanzania when she felt called to join Maryknoll Lay Missioners. Susanne was commissioned ahead of the sending ceremony so that she could rejoin her spouse and children in Mwanza, where she has served in projects for women with the Society of African Missions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Susanne, who has a background in global public health, is now working in a new initiative called Work&Shop Creative Center, where young artisans can work and sell their products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDuring mission work, you learn how to handle challenges and be flexible in your approaches,\u201d she says. \u201cI focus on what is possible and give others the confidence that they can do it,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Victor Artaiz<\/strong>, of Wallingford, Connecticut, was commissioned to return to Bolivia, where he was already serving<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a career in international business, Victor had felt called to a different kind of work. Joining Franciscan Mission Service<\/a>, he spent four years in Cochabamba, where he met Maryknollers while doing prison ministry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Victor began working closely<\/a> with the community of priests, brothers and lay missioners. Victor is nourished by the Eucharist and daily lectio divina<\/em>, as he serves in \u201caccompanying others living on the periphery of society and sharing the faith, hope and peace of Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joining Victor and the Maryknoll community in Bolivia are spouses Elizabeth Canales Almanza<\/strong> and Ray Almanza<\/strong>, along with their children, Siena and Solomon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Candidate
Candidate Dorothy Ritter, assigned to Kenya, looks on during the liturgy. (Jos\u00e9 Garc\u00eda\/U.S.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Elizabeth is a Salvadoran American who has worked for 16 years with low-income, first-generation college students. She and Ray raised their children in a simple lifestyle at their home in Colton, California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before marriage, Elizabeth had considered joining the Peace Corps. A recent experience rekindled her calling to serve overseas. \u201cMy cancer diagnosis and treatment gave us the opportunity to reflect more deeply on our family\u2019s values, purpose, and the way we want to live in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elizabeth shares Maryknoll\u2019s approach to mission: \u201cIt\u2019s not about helping from a distance, but about walking alongside others,\u201d she says. \u201cWillingness to be transformed by those we accompany\u201d is necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray has held various ministry leadership positions, including for the Diocese of San Bernardino. \u201cI\u2019ve taught adult faith formation, youth ministry and marriage preparation, and I\u2019ve contributed to national initiatives like V Encuentro<\/a> and the Synod on the Family<\/a>,\u201d says Ray, who is Mexican American. \u201cIn my most recent role, I led the young adult outreach team in Maryknoll\u2019s Mission Formation Ministry<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working for the Maryknoll Society, Ray also led immersion trips<\/a>, which affirmed the calling he shares with his wife to serve abroad. \u201cI was especially moved by the churchwomen martyrs of El Salvador<\/a>, whose lives and deaths are a powerful testimony,\u201d he says. \u201cThey didn\u2019t go there to \u2018fix\u2019 things; they went to be with people in their suffering. That kind of witness inspires me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Pawlowicz<\/strong>, originally from Bolingbrook, Illinois, has a unique background in animal science, nonprofit management and pastoral accompaniment. \u201cWorking in animal control, I entered all kinds of homes and neighborhoods,\u201d he says. Volunteering in parish-based ministry for migrants exposed him to the trauma many have gone through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James studied in the Twin Cities of Minnesota and most recently lived in Maryland, where he was an active member of St. Margaret of Scotland parish. His next address will be in Brazil: \u201cI want to help others, and I hope to grow spiritually along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria Coraz\u00f3n \u201cCora\u201d Angeles<\/strong> will serve closer to home, bringing to the U.S.-Mexico border<\/a> her four decades of expertise as an immigration attorney. \u201cIn my work with migrants and families, I have seen much suffering and brokenness,\u201d she says. \u201cIn spite of these challenges, they stay committed to their goals with incredible joy and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally from Quezon City in the Philippines, Cora is a graduate of Maryknoll College in Manila. She came to the United States 43 years ago, making her home in Burbank, California. There, her involvement with Handmaids of the Lord<\/a>, a women\u2019s ministry, nurtured her faith. Participating in Maryknoll immersion trips to Kenya and the Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, awakened her desire to witness to Christ\u2019s presence across cultures and borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the sending Mass and ceremony, the candidates signed mission contracts for three and a half years, but the Maryknoll Lay Missioners covenant lasts for life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the community was dismissed \u201cto proclaim the Gospel by our lives,\u201d the work of mission had already begun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Featured image: The Class of 2025, which included international members and a family with two children, undertook an eight-week orientation in El Paso. Texas. After their sending Mass and ceremony, during which they signed three-and-a-half-year covenants, the new missioners were sent to Bolivia, Brazil, Kenya, Tanzania, and the U.S.-Mexico border. From left to right: Victor Artaiz, Jana Schiemenz, Maria Coraz\u00f3n \u201cCora\u201d Angeles, Susanne Beentjes, Dorothy Ritter, Elizabeth Canales Almanza, Ray Almanza and James Pawlowicz pose along with Siena and Solomon Almanza. (Daniel Liz\u00e1rraga\/U.S.)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eight missioners are commissioned by Maryknoll Lay Missioners to serve in Bolivia, Brazil, Kenya, Tanzania and at the U.S.-Mexico border.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":6355,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","_eb_data_table":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28,25,2241],"tags":[2333,46,938,2334,2337,883,2335,2336,2338,2339,116,2342,2341,2340,142,181,230],"class_list":["post-6353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-departments","category-featured-stories","category-spring-2026","tag-bishop-anthony-celino","tag-bolivia","tag-brazil","tag-dorothy-ritter","tag-elizabeth-canales-almanza-and-ray-almanza","tag-elvira-ramirez","tag-executive-director-of-maryknoll-lay-missioners","tag-holy-family-church-in-el-paso-texas","tag-james-pawlowicz","tag-jana-schiemenz","tag-kenya","tag-maria-corazon-cora-angeles","tag-maryknoll-magazine-2026","tag-susanne-beentjes","tag-tanzania","tag-u-s-mexico-border","tag-victor-artaiz"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Shared \u2018Yes\u2019 to Mission by New Lay Missioners - 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(Daniel Liz\u00e1rraga\/U.S.)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/a-shared-yes-to-mission-by-new-lay-missioners\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Shared \u2018Yes\u2019 to Mission by New Lay Missioners"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/","name":"Maryknoll Magazine","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/#organization","name":"Maryknoll Magazine","url":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/cropped-MKFB_Logo_Transparet1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/cropped-MKFB_Logo_Transparet1.png","width":333,"height":68,"caption":"Maryknoll Magazine"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/4937528a45e057e1b0c335d0b6369985","name":"Jennifer Tomshack","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/jennifertomshack_avatar-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/jennifertomshack_avatar-96x96.png","caption":"Jennifer Tomshack"},"description":"Jennifer Tomshack, communications manager for Maryknoll Lay Missioners, is a photographer and storyteller who has worked in communications and marketing for nonprofit organizations.","url":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/author\/jennifertomshack\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6353"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6353\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6359,"href":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6353\/revisions\/6359"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}