by Dionel Rodriguez | Feb 22, 2023
This project works in collaboration with a congregation of religious sisters, Hermanas Misioneras de Cristo Sediento, to sell alpaca wool and some artisanal alpaca crafts. The Sisters spin alpaca wool into 200 yard skeins for sale. The crafts will be a few hand-made sweaters, scarves, shawls and blankets. The proceeds will support the ministries of the religious Sisters to the local population.
“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and will be repaid in full”
Proverbs 19:17
by Dionel Rodriguez | Feb 22, 2023
Homeless Ministry (Rede Rua)
Fr. Dae Kim’s project focuses on feeding, as well as, providing various services for the homeless. In collaboration with the São Paulo municipal government, Rede Rua currently offers nearly 1,000 meals per day to the homeless. With the financial downturn due to COVID-19, the municipal government has diminished its benefits program for the homeless, especially its budget to feed the homeless, which is vital to their survival. There is also a center that first began providing locker spaces for the homeless to keep their belongings. Since then, the services it provides have grown where homeless can now come and receive the following services during the day: Permanent lockers for their belonging; coffee and snacks; meals (limited amount); shower; laundry; health services (checkups, vaccination, psychological counseling); administrative services applying for various social benefits, applying for job listings; legal services with a lawyer that can provide information for various legal issues); skills workshop (i.e. haircut, cooking, arts & crafts, etc.); and information seminars on various topics.
“Whoever has two tunics should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Luke 3:11
by Dionel Rodriguez | Feb 8, 2022
Human Rights and Care of Creation
Along with The Office of “Human Rights and Environment” – DHUMA – a non-governmental organization, this project supports members of indigenous communities and grassroots social organizations (OSB) who empower themselves by learning their rights, strengthening their communities and organizations, being proactive in nonviolent actions for the defense of our common home, Mother Earth, and her natural resources, especially water, and continually creating new paths, such as opening Constitutional legal suits (Casos de Amparo) against the State and mining enterprises, to assure that their rights are respected by the State and extractive industries.
With your gift, you will help leaders who are willing to challenge the “extractivist” model of development and any human activity, negligence or policy which generates disastrous impacts on Mother Earth or violates the fundamental rights of indigenous peoples to life, health, water, territory, land, prior consultation and consent, ethnic identity, organizational autonomy, indigenous justice, etc. succeed.
“In safeguarding and helping to renew God’s creation, we cultivate a peace we can not only enjoy today but also that can continue to sustain generations to come.”
by Dionel Rodriguez | Feb 8, 2022
The project will provide individual and group counseling to local Bolivians. Along with a psychiatrist, Fr. Greg hopes to counsel low-income adults and families who do not have financial access to professional counseling services. The psychologist and Fr. Greg will offer counseling services in individual offices at the Maryknoll Center. They will counsel adults and families on home visits. In order to accommodate the needs of a few clients, they will sometimes meet them at a public location near their place of work.
In collaboration with two other Bolivian professionals, Fr. Greg will offer courses, workshops and seminars. The courses will focus on spirituality for personal transformation. The education and counseling will emphasize the potential healing, purpose and interior peace of a mindful spiritual life.
In Bolivia, there is a genuine need for group and individual counseling to address the psychological, emotional and spiritual needs of struggling families and individuals. Nevertheless, many families are more concerned with immediate material needs than counseling. Fr. Greg would like to take a combined approach to address the counseling needs of poor Bolivian families by creating a small counseling center for single mothers through collaboration with a pre-existing tutoring and daycare center for the children of single mothers and fathers.
“Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11
by Dionel Rodriguez | Feb 8, 2022
Servicios Misioneros Proyecto Laudato Si
Fr. Alejandro Marina, M.M.
Missionary Services is the program through which we continue to offer “missionary formation” to the Churches of Latin America and beyond. Led by Fr. Alejandro Marina, M.M., this training is carried out through online workshops, administration of the “Ex-CMMAL” building so that various organizations committed to the mission, have their headquarters to offer their formative proposals which include counseling and spiritual accompaniment, and the Laudato Si Program: Care of creation and formation in an ecological spirituality.
Missionary Services is the program through which we continue to offer “missionary formation” to the Churches of Latin America and beyond.
by Dionel Rodriguez | Aug 10, 2020
Medical and Pastoral Services for Prisoners
Fr. Joe Fedora works to provide medicine to the detained and secretarial services the Chaplain at Peru’s largest prison, San Pedro de Lurigancho, a facility built for 3,300 prisoners that currently holds 10,000, making it the most densely populated prison in the Americas. The aim is to accompany people abandoned by society and, for many, even by family. Established in 1999, the project continues to medical and pastoral care to the forgotten.
Father Joseph Fedora offers counseling, the Sacraments, and medicines to prisoners who are HIV+ and receiving little or no care.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,* and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
by Dionel Rodriguez | Jun 11, 2020
In three learning centers, serving 170 children with teachers and volunteers, Fr. Paul Sykora offers tutoring to children in a poor area of Cochabamba, Bolivia where immigration from rural areas is high and families from other cultures must adapt. The children now live in a world that their parents do not understand.
Learning Spanish language skills is the first step in advancing in school and adjusting to their new environment.
Your gift provides an education to the youth in Bolivia.
by Dionel Rodriguez | Jun 10, 2020
Anger, fear, anxiety and depression . . . these are all common symptoms of trauma that Fr. Dennis Moorman helps people to resolve in both individual sessions as well as workshops with groups and official trainings for trauma therapists in Brazil and throughout the world.
Although, Fr. Dennis is stationed in São Paulo, Brazil, his trauma healing ministry has expanded to fifteen countries throughout the world, where he has presented this work in Haiti, South Korea, Japan, USA, Hong Kong, Nepal, China, Tanzania, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, India and Egypt, as well as Brazil. During the pandemic this work has expanded to include working virtually with people in Columbia, Germany, Kenya, Russia, U.K. and Belgium.
Fr. Dennis’ work attends not only to the emotional and physical, but also the spiritual realm of healing, where he witnesses daily the new hope and energy for life that is unleashed when a person is able to overcome being stuck in a traumatic pattern in their life. Those who are healed often learn to help others who are suffering with trauma in order to give back to their communities the gift of healing they have received.
by Dionel Rodriguez | Jun 10, 2020
Remate Parish Formation Leadership, Guatemala
Fr. William Senger, MM of the Remate Parish continues to provide formation courses, retreats, and other educational opportunities at the Vicariate and national Church level for our committed laity. Presently, the parish takes in about $650.oo a month and most of this is needed to cover normal administration costs (i.e. utilities, building maintenance, and office expense). There are monthly meetings of the catechists, delegates of the Word, Eucharistic ministers, local (aldea) chapel community coordinators, and youth leaders. In addition they participate with the committed laity in four one-day meetings of our pastoral zone and four Vicariate meetings of three or four days each year. The participants pay for their transportation and the Parish covers the cost of food for these meetings.
Fr. Bill hopes to provide a yearly retreat for the different groups as well as more formation courses, and other educational opportunities for our committed laity. Your gift supports the future of mission.
“We know that all things work for good for those who love God,* who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
by Dionel Rodriguez | Jun 10, 2020
Parroquia Cristo Resucitado Curico
Bro. John J. Nitsch, M.M.
Existing on limited donations from its poor parishioners, the Parish of Cristo Resucitado needs your assistance to continue its soup kitchen, which provides more than 150 meals a day to the needy. In addition, the parish provides financial aid to seven of its students studying at the university, and runs a youth group for children during winter and summer vacations.
In 2017, the area received about 500 immigrates from Haiti, Venezuela and Columbia. The immigrants from Haiti require extra assistance because of language and climate differences. Your donations will help keep their assistance programs running and help Brother John Nitsch, M.M. support the increased number of immigrants.
Your donations will help keep their assistance programs running.
- Assist university students in finishing their studies in law, social work, health care, and psychology.
- Our soup kitchen now serves lunch to about 150 poor people six days a week.
- Brother John Nitsch has been able to help begin raising bees for honey and to pollinate the fruit trees, increasing the income and standard of living of the people involved.
- Starting a weekend formation program for our pastoral agents, and support other monthly and bimonthly retreats and formation times for the different parish groups.
