A delegation from the Diocese of Oakland, along with people from Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, joined Maryknoll in the summer of 2013.
A summer mission immersion to Guatemala that was organized by the Maryknoll Society provided teachers and catechists with the opportunity to experience God in an unfamiliar place and with the ultimate goal of bringing that experience into their own ministries and careers.
The mission immersion, organized by Kris East (Maryknoll mission promoter for the western region) and Matt Rousso (Maryknoll mission promoter for the southern region), included visits to an orphanage, a school for mentally and physically disabled children, a home for the aged, a Saturday school program in the poorest of barrios and an after-school program for street kids.
California-based participants attended Maryknoll’s Mission Education Training Program and Retreat prior to traveling to Guatemala. Three additional out-of-state participants received orientation via conference call. During the mission immersion, East and Rousso facilitated nightly reflections on each day’s experiences.
The participants from California included:
• Chuck Kennedy (pastoral staff and Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults [RCIA] coordinator, All Saints Church in Hayward)
• Danielle Doria (catechist, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, in Fremont)
• Tiffany Doria (catechist, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Fremont)
• Elizabeth Oishi Comly (volunteer assistant, St. Joseph the Worker Church in Berkeley)
• John Watkins (Office for Life & Justice, Diocese of Oakland)
Additional participants included:
• Sr. Frances M. Ratay, S.S.J. (biology and religion teacher, Little Flower High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Jim Yourkovich (teacher, Catholic Memorial High in Waukesha, Wisconsin)
• Chaplin: Father Gregory Bouquet, O.S.B. (rector, St. Joseph Seminary in St. Benedict, Louisiana)
• Lolita “Girlie” Gary (Maryknoll Affiliate, retired teacher from New Orleans)
Click here to learn more about the trip from an article that appeared in the August 12, 2013 issue of The Catholic Voice that is published by the Diocese of Oakland.
Learn more about Maryknoll in Guatemala by reading “Walking for peace amid violence” and viewing the accompanying video.
