News from Maryknoll Northwest
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Greetings!
Seasons Greetings!
It would be nice if Superman was real. At least, that's what I caught myself thinking recently while driving home. I was listening to a story on the radio about drug cartels in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas Mexico. There, ordinary citizens have been taking to the Internet to report cartel activity in order to keep their streets safe (for instance, they might report that a shootout is occurring on a certain block). In response, the cartels have killed many of these people, displaying their bodies publicly as a means of intimidation.
Alone, this story would be distressing, but it just so happened that, on the same day of hearing this story, Fr. Tom Marti had shared with me the homily spoken at the funeral Mass of Father Fausto Tentorio, PIME, an Italian missionary priest and witness to Christ's justice who was assassinated recently in the Philippines. And so, I thought, Wouldn't it be great if Superman were here? Drug cartels and military squads certainly would not be able to stop him as easily as they can stop the rest of us.
With Christmas upon us, though, I began to reflect on the birth of Christ. Like me, many people of Christ's time were hoping for a "Superman" of sorts - a leader that would liberate them and establish God's Reign through a military victory. Instead, God sent the Son to us through Jesus. Through his birth, the witness of his life and, ultimately, his death and resurrection, we see not the power of God's fist, but the power of God's love. He liberates us not through war and violence, but through the joy of witnessing his message to one another, of sharing in that love. And it is only through this love, through our very selves as God's hands, that this world will see an end to violence.
So, this Advent season, let us rejoice at the coming of the Lord! Let us not ignore the suffering taking place all around us, but take solace in the fact that God has made known the means of our salvation. This month's letter details many ways that people we know are advancing Christ's message in the world - and, as always, ways that you can get involved!
Peace,
Kevin Foy and the Maryknoll Team
kfoy@maryknoll.org
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Celebration at St. Cecilia
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Winners of the 2011 Youth on Mission Contest, with Fr. Tom Marti, MM, and Kevin Foy of Maryknoll.
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Students at St. Cecilia Catholic School on Bainbridge, Island, were recently honored as winners of the "2011 Youth on Mission Contest." The students, led by teacher Kate Orizotti, were selected for their video "How Am I a Missionary," detailing how they live mission through prayer and service to the community.
On Thursday, November 10th, Fr. Thomas Marti, Maryknoll priest, offered Mass for St. Cecilia students, faculty, and parishioners. The school then celebrated in the parish hall with refreshments and a video presentation on the Philippines, where Fr. Marti had served for sixteen years. Maryknoll staff thanked the students for their entry and for living out the call to mission in and out of the classroom.
The Youth on Mission Contest is a collaborative project jointly sponsored by the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, the Catholic Schools Department, and the Missions Office of the Archdiocese of Seattle.
For information on the 2012 Mission:Possible Video/Art Contest for children and youth in the Archdiocese of Seattle, click here.
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Guatemala Immersion for Teachers
If you or someone you know is interested in our 2012 Immersion to Guatemala for Catholic School Teachers, please sign up to receive more information.
This immersion is designed to help schools live out Catholic Social Teaching by engaging in solidarity with youth, schools, and peoples outside of our immediate community.
Please click this link for more information, including:
- Trip goals and travel sites
- Benefits to your school community
- Fundraising ideas
- Guatemala Resource Sheet
- Background on your trip leaders
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Maryknoll and the Missions Office of the Archdiocese of Seattle are pleased to renew our monthly Mission Forum on the first Friday of the month starting in January.
Mission Forum features speakers and films uniquely chosen to shed light on issues relating to mission, including solidarity, peace, justice, and witness to the Gospel.
Click this link for information on our next mission forum, a viewing and discussion of the film Of Gods and Men on Friday, January 6th.
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Christmas Greetings from Fr. McCahill
(Last month, we shared part of Fr. Bob McCahill's annual Christmas letter. Now, we are pleased to share the letter in it's entirety.)
 For more than 30 years, Father Bob McCahill has served the poor in Bangladesh, healing souls and imitating the mission spirit of Jesus. He lives very simply among the poor in Bengali villages seeking to be of help them in any way he can. Commenting on his life and work, Father Bob says: "I live the way Jesus did, caring for the poor. I take children to the hospital for evaluations and surgeries. I visit the homebound to make sure they are taking their medicines and do not feel alone. I write letters for women who find certain conversations too difficult to have with their doctors. I help patients with paperwork they don't understand." One can see the consequences of the massive poverty in Bangladesh without trying very hard. The country is about the size of the State of Iowa with a population of some 156 million people - about half the population of the United States. Close to half the population live in dire poverty. Malnutrition is rampant and many of the children have birth defects. Personal income is about $1.25 a day. Before being assigned to the Bangladesh Father Bob served for some 15 years as a missioner on the Island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines. He is not a stranger in the Pacific Northwest. Though he grew up in Goshen, Indiana, Father McCahill entered Maryknoll back in the 1950's when he was a student at Seattle University. Over the years he has visited Seattle several times and has given talks of his mission experience in several parishes and parochial schools. For many years now, Fr. Bob has prepared a letter to friends about his mission work and sends it out several weeks before Christmas. We invite you to read his most recent letter which we received a short time ago.
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Oregon Parishioner Joins Lay Missioners
Carolyn Trumble of St. Cecilia Parish in Beaverton, OR, has joined the Maryknoll Lay Missioners and will serve in Brazil. Read about Carolyn's experience on her blog.
Congratulations to Carolyn and best of luck on her mission journey.
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Friends Across Borders - FAB, is a mission outreach program of Maryknoll Lay Missioners with a 17 year history. Since 1994 FAB has assisted parishes, dioceses, universities community and human rights groups in developing immersion and service learning trips to: Brazil, Bolivia, Cambodia, Chile, El Salvador, Mexico, Kenya, Tanzania, and the U.S. Border at El Paso/ Ciudad Juarez. Many people have experienced life changing experiences through a cross cultural immersion experience and contact with us.
For more information, visit the Friends Across Borders website.
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Tales from Local Missioners
Pat Rogers is a former Maryknoll Sister. She shared her most memorable moment as a missioner for our Centennial celebration.
"My most memorable experienced happened at a surprise birthday party for me and arranged by the parishioners from the mostly migrant farmworker parish where I worked in Stockton, Ca. I had not been home to Boston to visit my family in a few years. These wonderful people, among the poorest of the poor economically, yet rich in family appreciation and values, had offered me 'membership' in their family at large. They gave me a surprise birthday party and presented me with a round trip plane ticket to Boston to visit my family. I was overwhelmed to receive this precious gift of love and family from those who gave and shared their hard-earned dollars in the ultimate gesture of giving and sacrifice. To me, it represented the true meaning of friend, family and love that has impacted my life to this day."
-Pat Rogers
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Maryknoll Mission House
958 16th Avenue E
Seattle, WA 98112
P: (206) 322-8831
F: (206) 324-6909
E: seattle@maryknoll.org
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Reflection
How Does Christmas Challenge Us?
"Then the Angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.'"
-Luke 1:30-31
Even from conception, the arrival of Jesus was a challenge: a challenge to the faith of Mary, who would bear him, and a challenge to the faith and loyalty of Joseph, whose wife was now miraculously with child.
How does Christ's arrival and presence in the world challenge you? How can you work to answer that challenge this Advent season?
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MARYKNOLL Magazine and REVISTA now online
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Mission Education & Promotion
Western Region
Seattle/Northwest
958 16th Ave E
Seattle, WA 98112
Regional Center
16642 Ashland Ave.
San Lorenzo, California 94580
General Hours
Mon-Fri 9 am to 4 pm
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