by Dionel Rodriguez | Aug 3, 2026
Migrant workers in Taiwan often arrive with limited formal training beyond the specific labor roles that brought them to the country, leaving them with few options if they wish to change careers, start a business, or return home with marketable skills. Long and demanding work schedules further limit their ability to pursue additional education through conventional means.
Maryknoll provides free vocational and technical training programs specifically designed to accommodate these constraints, offering instruction in areas such as computer technology, hospitality, caregiving, photography, baking, and language development. Classes are scheduled with migrant workers’ demanding jobs in mind, making participation genuinely feasible rather than theoretically available but practically inaccessible.
This program embodies the Catholic Social Teaching principle of the Dignity of Work, affirming that migrant workers deserve more than temporary labor arrangements, they deserve the chance to develop skills that open genuine, lasting opportunity. It also carries forward Maryknoll’s founding charism of crossing cultural and linguistic boundaries to serve those far from home, meeting migrant workers with practical support suited to the actual constraints of their daily lives.
Gifts to this project support vocational and technical training that helps migrant workers in Taiwan gain marketable skills, prepare for future careers, and build greater financial independence for themselves and their families.
by Dionel Rodriguez | Feb 14, 2024
For many immigrants arriving in Chile from across Latin America and the Caribbean, the journey does not end once they cross the border. Newcomers frequently face unfamiliar legal systems, language barriers, employment discrimination, and the general uncertainty that comes with starting over in a new country, often without the support networks that longtime residents can rely on.
Maryknoll helps immigrants and refugees navigate these challenges through the Office for Immigrants in the Diocese of Talca, providing assistance with immigration documentation, legal processes, employment concerns, and access to essential public and social services. The office serves individuals and families from across the region, reflecting the diverse origins of migrants currently arriving in Chile.
This ministry embodies the Catholic Social Teaching principle of Rights and Responsibilities as they apply to migrants, affirming the Church’s long-standing teaching that the right to migrate in search of a better life carries with it a corresponding claim to dignity and just treatment. It also reflects Maryknoll’s founding charism of welcoming the stranger, offering newcomers to Chile not just practical assistance but a genuine sense of belonging within the Church.
Gifts to this project support legal assistance, documentation help, and social service referrals that help immigrants and refugees in the Diocese of Talca build stable lives and become active members of their new communities.
by Dionel Rodriguez | Feb 22, 2023
Across Asia, many migrant workers face exploitation, unsafe working conditions, and violations of their basic human rights, often within complex global supply chains that make accountability difficult to trace and enforce. These abuses can range from illegally charged recruitment fees to unsafe labor conditions to outright human trafficking, and workers frequently have little power to address them individually.
Maryknoll works alongside laborers, community organizations, corporations, and government agencies to confront labor abuses, human trafficking, and environmental concerns embedded within global supply chains. Through advocacy, worker education, research into supply chain practices, and structured collaboration with multiple stakeholders, this ministry works to promote ethical business practices and greater respect for human dignity within international commerce.
This project embodies two interconnected Catholic Social Teaching principles, the Dignity of Work and Care for God’s Creation, recognizing that exploitative labor practices and environmental harm frequently share the same root causes within global supply chains. It reflects Maryknoll’s prophetic charism of confronting injustice at its structural source, working directly with corporations and governments rather than addressing only its downstream effects on individual workers.
Gifts to this project support advocacy, research, and worker education that advance justice, protect vulnerable migrant laborers, and promote responsible, ethical business practices across global supply chains.
by Dionel Rodriguez | Feb 8, 2022
In the highlands of southern Peru, indigenous communities often face significant threats to their ancestral land, water sources, and traditional livelihoods, frequently linked to extractive industries and development projects undertaken with limited consultation or regard for local rights. These pressures place both cultural survival and environmental sustainability at risk simultaneously.
Through partnerships with local organizations, Maryknoll supports leadership training, legal advocacy, environmental stewardship, and community education initiatives designed to help these communities protect their interests. Grounded explicitly in Catholic social teaching regarding human dignity and care for creation, this ministry treats environmental protection and human rights as two dimensions of a single, interconnected concern rather than separate issues.
This ministry directly embodies two closely linked Catholic Social Teaching principles: Care for God’s Creation and the Rights and Responsibilities owed to indigenous communities whose land, water, and culture are too often disregarded by outside interests. It reflects Maryknoll’s prophetic charism of standing publicly with those defending their rightful place on the land, treating environmental protection and human dignity as a single, unified cause.
Gifts to this project support leadership training, legal advocacy, and environmental education that empower indigenous communities in southern Peru to protect their rights, preserve their culture, and safeguard the natural resources they depend on.
by Dionel Rodriguez | Jun 12, 2020
Violence and instability in Myanmar have forced thousands of children and young adults to flee their homeland, seeking safety and opportunity in neighboring Thailand. Many arrive with little more than what they could carry, having lost access to consistent schooling, stable housing, and basic services during their journey and displacement.
Maryknoll helps provide food, shelter, medical care, educational support, and language instruction for refugee students living at Wat Prok Mon Temple in Bangkok, a community that has taken in Burmese refugees seeking safety within Thailand’s borders. These services address both the immediate necessities of daily survival and the longer-term goal of allowing students to continue their education despite significant disruption.
Supporting refugee students in a Buddhist temple community reflects the Catholic Social Teaching principle of Solidarity, a commitment that reaches across religious lines to serve the Life and Dignity of every displaced child. This ministry also embodies Maryknoll’s founding charism of interreligious cooperation in mission, working alongside partners of other faiths whenever doing so serves the wellbeing of people in genuine need.
Gifts to this project support food, shelter, medical care, and education for Burmese refugee students in Bangkok, giving young people who have fled violence the opportunity to learn, grow, and pursue their dreams despite significant hardship.
by Dionel Rodriguez | Jun 12, 2020
Thailand is home to thousands of refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and survivors of human trafficking, individuals and families who have fled war, persecution, and poverty in search of safety and stability. Many arrive with urgent, immediate needs and little understanding of Thailand’s legal systems or available support services.
Maryknoll works alongside local and international partners to provide food assistance, medical care, emergency support, legal referrals, and pastoral accompaniment to this vulnerable population. Coordinating with established partner organizations allows Maryknoll to extend its reach and effectiveness beyond what any single organization could achieve independently, connecting individuals with the specific type of assistance their circumstances require.
This ministry embodies the Catholic Social Teaching principle of Rights and Responsibilities as they apply to refugees, affirming the Church’s teaching that those fleeing war and persecution retain a claim to safety, dignity, and just treatment. It also reflects Maryknoll’s charism of coordinated accompaniment, working alongside partner organizations to extend care to displaced people whose circumstances often exceed what any single ministry could address alone.
Gifts to this project support food assistance, medical care, and legal referrals that help refugees, migrants, and trafficking survivors in Thailand rebuild their lives with dignity and hope, grounded in the conviction that every person, regardless of legal status, remains a member of the one human family.
by Dionel Rodriguez | Jun 11, 2020
Far from home and family, migrant workers and new immigrants in Taiwan frequently face loneliness, the risk of exploitation by employers or recruiters, and significant uncertainty as they work to build stable lives in an unfamiliar country. Language barriers and unfamiliarity with local systems can compound these challenges, leaving many without clear avenues for support when problems arise.
Maryknoll provides pastoral care, emergency shelter, vocational training, advocacy, and broader community support to migrant workers and immigrants navigating these difficult circumstances. This comprehensive approach reflects the reality that migrants often need more than a single form of assistance; a worker facing exploitation, for instance, may simultaneously need legal advocacy, emergency housing, and emotional support.
This ministry directly embodies the Catholic Social Teaching principle of Rights and Responsibilities as applied to migrants, affirming the Church’s teaching that every worker deserves protection from exploitation and access to just treatment regardless of nationality. It reflects Maryknoll’s charism of welcoming the stranger and standing as an advocate for those most vulnerable to abuse, offering both practical assistance and a consistent, trustworthy voice on their behalf.
Gifts to this project support pastoral care, emergency shelter, and advocacy that help ensure migrants and new immigrants in Taiwan are treated with dignity, compassion, and respect as they build new lives far from home.
