Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Cochabamba (Agenzia Fides) - Because of the Centenary of the foundation (see Fides 31/10/2011), the Maryknoll Missionaries (Society for Foreign Missions of the United States of America) have made a video that shows the efforts of the missionaries in Latin America starting from their arrival in 1942. At that time, when the world lived the tragedy of the Second World War, many of the Maryknoll missionaries were forced to leave the missions in Asia, partly because they began to get requests for missionaries in remote villages in the Andes of Latin America, where the Church had little or no presence.
From the note sent to Agenzia Fides, we learn that today the Maryknoll Missionaries operate in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Peru. Their main objective has always been to strengthen the local Church with the preparation of the clergy and laity of the place, and to be able to do this, they must first take root in the life and culture of peoples. The Maryknoll Missionaries have been at the side of the indigenous people in difficult times, during the civil wars in Guatemala and El Salvador, under the military regime in Chile, in the midst of political violence in Peru. Today this commitment continues with the people of Latin America in the parishes where there are Maryknoll priests and brothers, that form catechists and lay leaders.
In some places the missionaries work with the centers of public health, especially for the poor, street children or for the rehabilitation of former prisoners. An important presence in Latin America is located in Cochabamba, Bolivia: in addition to working in the suburbs of Cochabamba for nearly 70 years, they also run the Maryknoll Mission Center. In addition to managing a language institute, the Centre organizes a complete formation program for lay missionaries and refresher courses for missionaries. There are now hundreds of Maryknoll missionaries who from this center go on a mission to Latin America. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 09/11/2011)
