by Mike Snyder | May 26, 2021 | Vocations - Blog
Newly ordained Fr. Greg McPhee and seasoned missioner Br. Joe Bruener have recently traveled to Cochabamba, Bolivia. First they will study Spanish and later begin their missionary service. Fr. Greg came to us with a background in law as a criminal defense attorney in Syracuse, New York. As a seminarian he was sent to Tanzania, East Africa for two years on our Overseas Training Program. Br. Joe has spent many years serving in Asia (Taiwan, mainland China and Hong Kong). He has also served as vocation minister and with the initial formation team here in the U.S. He brings the richness of these experiences to his new assignment in Latin America.
Fr. Greg contemplates the Mission Cross given at ordination
Fr. Rodrigo (center) bids farewell to Fr. Greg & Br. Joe as they leave the Maryknoll Center for Bolivia
by Mike Snyder | May 26, 2021 | Vocations - Blog
While we always enjoy in person vocation events, the pandemic has stimulated us to utilize social platforms to engage with young men interested in a missionary vocation. One of these has been Saturday evening Come & See events. They last just two hours and during this time we cover various subjects, introduce participants to Maryknoll priests, Brothers and candidates in training and hear some of their stories.
For example on May 22nd we covered a lot of ground in two hours from learning a little of ourselves including the music that has given us grace during the pandemic; how to prepare and build your vocation raft (using Tom Hanks’ movie: Castaway); visiting the Maryknoll Center via a virtual tour; reflection on a mission story by vocation minister Greg Darr; discussion on the particular Gospel that is lived in one’s home town; what our nation went through when George Floyd died and the meaning of the poetic words of Amanda Gorman. Preparation matters when building your vocation raft. Stay tuned for more information about the next come and see event.
Participants at our May 22nd Event
by Mike Snyder | May 26, 2021 | Vocations - Blog
by Mike Snyder | May 26, 2021 | Vocations - Blog
The Gospel offers us the chance to live life on a higher plane, but with no less intensity:
“Life grows by being given away, and it weakens in isolation and comfort. Indeed, those who enjoy life most are those who leave security on the shore and become excited by the mission of communicating life to others”. When the Church summons Christians to take up the task of evangelization, she is simply pointing to the source of authentic personal fulfilment. For “here we discover a profound law of reality: that life is attained and matures in the measure that it is offered up in order to give life to others. This is certainly what mission means”. Consequently, an evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral! Let us recover and deepen our enthusiasm, that “delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing, even when it is in tears that we must sow… And may the world of our time, which is searching, sometimes with anguish, sometimes with hope, be enabled to receive the good news not from evangelizers who are dejected, discouraged, impatient or anxious, but from ministers of the Gospel whose lives glow with fervor, who have first received the joy of Christ”.
– Pope Francis (The Joy of the Gospel #10 (2013)
by Mike Snyder | May 26, 2021 | Vocations - Blog
We asked some Maryknoll Missioners this question: What made you consider the missionary Priesthood or Brotherhood? Here are some of the answers:
Adventure! I wanted to serve the poorest of the poor like Christ through healing, preaching, and teaching. I love to travel and experience new cultures. I wanted to experience God’s presence in new parts of the world. – Fr. Shaun Crumb (serving in China)
The call to serve the poor was coupled with an inspiration from reading about European Jesuit priests in the history of the US who crossed cultures to work with Native Americans. – Fr. Lam Hua (serving in Tanzania)
Growing up in upstate NY I attended Catholic grade school and high school. Mission was very much a part of my early years. My diocese (Ogdensburg) had a mission in Mollendo, Peru. The Ursuline Sister who taught me in grade school and high school spoke of their mission commitments in Asia and my Uncle Donat’s brother was a missionary priest in central Africa. The charism of Brotherhood was deeply rooted in me through the life of Brother Andre Bessette (now Saint Andre) from Montreal. Br. Wayne Fitzpatrick (serving in the U.S.)
Br. Wayne (upper left) with Ogdensburg lifetime friend who served in Mollendo, Peru, Fr. Dan Chapin and Family
My calling to the priesthood came first. After discerning that the Lord was calling me to serve Him as a priest, I learned about the many ways priests work throughout the world. The idea of traveling the world, having all sorts of adventures, learning new languages, and working with people throughout Latin America, Asia, and Africa was incredibly appealing. Once I put these two callings together, I found my vocation! Fr. Peter Latouf (serving in Hong Kong)
Classmates – Frs. Peter Latouf & Daniel Kim with their parents on ordination day
I was born and raised in a traditional Catholic household so priesthood as a viable “career option” was supported and encouraged throughout my upbringing. My calling to the ministry of the priesthood became increasing apparent as I approached adulthood and I began to explore deeper into the various expressions of this holy ministry. I first consulted my parish priest about the diocesan life and even attended a few diocesan sponsored vocation encounters and groups. However, after careful prayer and reflection, I came to the realization that diocesan priesthood was not my calling. Through this discernment process I discovered a strong passion within me to step beyond the confines of my cultural context and engage the richness and vastness of Holy Spirit that is woven in the diverse fabrics of the various cultures that blankets this Globe. In other words, the idea of living and serving as an itinerant missioner greatly appealed to me and found that this desire was deeply embedded into my being. Fr. Daniel Kim (serving in Hong Kong)
by Mike Snyder | May 26, 2021 | Vocations - Blog
We understand that not everyone is a Facebook user. However, if you take the time to visit us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/mklvocations) you will find several short video testimonies of Maryknoll Missioners speaking about their vocations and experiences in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Here is a sample by Sem. John Siyumbu: https://www.youtube.com/embed/qQI_rFCN4m8
We also have a private Facebook Vocations Group that meets regularly to watch interviews with Maryknollers where they have the opportunity to dialogue with us and with each other about missionary life. Please visit our Vocations Facebook page and if you are interested in joining this group then just contact Fr. Rodrigo at vocation@maryknoll.org or follow the instructions on line for membership.
The Mission Bell at Maryknoll NY
by Mike Snyder | Mar 4, 2021 | Vocations - Blog, Vocations - Events
As the Spring season dawns on us in New York so too does the warmth and fragrances of nature. At Easter we join with Jesus in proclaiming new and resurrected life. This can strengthen our faith in God and hope for a better world. I think imagination is an important factor when addressing the theme of hope, especially during these challenging times with a pandemic affecting the lives of people throughout the world. Without imagination we can fall subject to either the presumption that humankind can solve all problems by itself or despair when it discovers otherwise. Hope with imagination enables us to avoid both of these pitfalls because its fulfillment is always on the horizon in our life’s journey. It is an eschatological hope that can only reach its fulfillment when we are finally fully united with God. Faith driven by love for God’s people and demonstrated in our relations to them propels us forward ‘imagining’ what full union with God will be like and striving to grasp it day by day. Perhaps another word for imagining is dreaming. Maryknoll needs dreamers who truly believe that a world centered on God’s love for it is possible. God became a human being and took the name of Jesus to show us the way to make all this possible.
When Maryknollers go to Africa, Asia and Latin America we are filled with both excitement and some trepidation. We wonder if we have what it takes to learn new languages, adapt to new cultures and establish good healthy relationships with the people. Missionary virtues include creativity, imagination, a sense of adventure and, yes, dreams. Our vocation is steeped in faith, hope and love. Prayer, attentiveness to God’s activity within us, becomes core as we slowly grow and acculturate in these new settings. In time we recognize God’s voice not only in our own lives but also in the lives of those we encounter in these new lands.
I hope you recognize how much you and so many others like you are needed today. The message of God’s love for all people is so important. It needs to be preached not only in words but in the actions of our daily lives. Each of you is a messenger wherever you go and in whatever you do. But, you still need to take some steps in the direction that will fulfill the dreams that have brought you in contact with us. So, don’t be stymied by the challenge. Rather, imagine, dream on and make the dream a reality!
As always we look forward to hearing from you: Fr. Rodrigo Ulloa-Chavarry (vocation@maryknoll.org), Fr. Mike Snyder, Fr. Joe Donovan and Mr. Greg Darr
by Mike Snyder | Mar 4, 2021 | Vocations - Blog, Vocations - Events
Greetings from the Formation Community in Chicago! It is close to a year since the first restrictions related to Covid-19 came into effect. The last in-person class at CTU was on March 13, 2020. A new way of studying for ministry beckoned us as classes were conducted online and in-person ministry became unavailable. The beginning of the pandemic was a time with lots of signs. God invited us to discern and separate the transient and ephemeral from the enduring and timeless. God’s graciousness to us during this Covid-19 pandemic points us to the steadfastness of God’s word of love that never passes (Isaiah 40:8). Our intercultural and multigenerational community has not witnessed a case of infection thus far. It has been a blessing to continue having our community liturgical schedules throughout the pandemic. These moments of communal prayer helped sustain the light of God in our community and world during one of the dark nights of our generation. The fire and zeal for the Mission of Maryknoll has kept burning in our muted celebrations of some vocational milestones by our members – the making of a permanent oath and the renewal of temporary oaths. These were livestreamed so that we could share these moments with the wider Maryknoll community and our families across the globe. In the midst of a global pandemic, we strove to build a community that drew from our diverse cultures in preparation for the Mission of Church. We took turns making our meals when multiple stay-at-home orders sought to protect our House Staff and all Chicagoans from Covid-19. We have had sumptuous dinners. That Fr. Rector’s fish recipe can beat the Food Network Chefs’ is a settled matter among us.
In collaboration with members of the Maryknoll Sisters’ Formation House, we participated in ministerial ventures that sought to supply packaged sandwiches to local food depositories. With our in-person ministerial engagements curtailed by the raging virus, making sandwiches in the safety of our house offered a pragmatic way of adapting to the signs of the times in Mission. Some aspects of our own formation programs such as the Intercommunity Novitiate had been reduced to online interactions over Zoom sessions. Together, and in solidarity with others in the world, we adapted to a virtual world that helped to maintain ministerial, educational and pastoral relationships threatened by a global pandemic. Our Formation Community is a gift to us. Our interactions in community have emphasized the beauty and sanctity of the Mission of Jesus Christ to all in our Common Home. Formation continues to strengthen our resolve to learn the ways of Maryknoll, to follow Jesus Christ closely so that we may be transformed in the Mission of Christ and the Church. In this, we know that all will work for the good of the Missions of Maryknoll and for the glory of God. Amen.
Institution to the Ministry of Acolyte for Sem. John Siyumbu (center)
held on October 31, 2020 at the Formation House in Chicago
by Mike Snyder | Mar 4, 2021 | Vocations - Blog, Vocations - Events
We are proud to announce the launching of our newly revised website that also features a new vocations video. Please check it out and let us know what you think about it!
Maryknoll Vocations | A Life of Mission Overseas (maryknollsociety.org)
We also offer volunteer opportunities lasting from six weeks to one year that can nourish your vocational interest.
Fr. Joyalito Tajonera with volunteers in Tanzi, Taiwan. Learn more about our volunteer programs at
(Volunteer Opportunities & Life-Enriching Experiences | Maryknoll (maryknollsociety.org)
by Mike Snyder | Mar 4, 2021 | Vocations - Blog, Vocations - Events
We understand that not everyone is a Facebook user. However, if you take the time to visit us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/mklvocations) you will find several short video testimonies of Maryknoll Missioners speaking about their vocations and experiences in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Here is a sample by Fr. Dae Kim now serving in Brazil:https://youtu.be/gKmCyhA6eAk
We also have a private Facebook Vocations Group that meets regularly to watch interviews with Maryknollers where they have the opportunity to dialogue with us and with each other about missionary life. Please visit our Vocations Facebook page and if you are interested in joining this group then just contact Fr. Rodrigo at vocation@maryknoll.org or follow the instructions on line for membership.
Cristo de la Concordia (Christ of Peace) Sculpture in Cochabamba, Bolivia
This is the largest sculpture of its kind in the world.
