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Year: 2015

¡Romero Vive, Vive!

“Sentir con la iglesia,” to feel with the church. This was the motto of Blessed Monseñor Oscar Romero. Oscar Romero lived out this life motto as a way to draw himself closer to God through prayer, as a decisive love and service to others, and as a fidelity to the teachings of the Church. When…

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Would you Choose Hard or Soft?

The other day I found myself in a situation. I needed to buy toilet paper but all of the regular places to buy were closed. I was left with the option of buying really soft, really expensive toilet paper. I did what I had to do, but it was painful. Although what I had was…

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“Something’s lost that must be found” – Celebrating St. Anthony of Padua

Editor’s Note: The following post was written by Br. Brian Stacy, OFM  Cap. in honor of the June 13 feast of St. Anthony of Padua. “Tony, Tony, turn around! Something’s lost that must be found!” It’s probably one of the most widely known Catholic prayers alongside the Our Father and Hail Mary. St. Anthony of…

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Throwback Thursday: “A Letter from Vietnam”

Editor’s Note: In celebration of our 25th year of preparing and supporting lay missioners, we look back to our archives at a World Care newsletter from 2004 with an article from returned missioner Hao Nguyen from Class 19 serving in Vietnam in 2004. This article was written during his time serving in Vietnam.   Hy Vong means…

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Street Art – Cochabamba Style

I’ve always been a fan of street art. After all, I grew up in NYC in 70s and 80s. The time when hip-hop was born and you couldn’t walk down a street or onto a subway platform in NYC without spotting a piece someone had worked on the night before. Admittedly, even though I loved…

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2015 World Care Benefit and Celebration Recap

When 190 people gathered in St. Francis Hall on May 1 for the 2015 World Care Benefit and Celebration, they expected to celebrate Franciscan Mission Service’s 25 years of sending lay Catholics on mission. No one, however, expected to be given drawing from a school in Guatemala or to be part of an impromptu sing-along…

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Live with Purpose

We recently finished the Easter Season with Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descends from heaven on to the disciples. The disciples start speaking in many languages and are told to go out and preach the Gospel to all people, and they do—they go to the edge of the known world to spread the message to…

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There’s More – Committing to a Fourth Year

It is official: I am extending my contract to stay in Bolivia for a fourth and final year. With this decision, I have a sense of excitement and joy… as well as a bit of relief. In my discernment, I had my pros for staying in Bolivia and my pros for returning to the U.S.…

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Welcome Emily and Mercedes!

We are happy to announce that earlier this month we welcomed two new members to the FMS staff: Emily Norton and Mercedes Matthews. Emily Norton will be assuming the role of Programs Manager, supporting our missioners in the field, coordinating short-term mission trips, and directing formation for new missioners. Born and raised in Portland, Ore.,…

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Throwback Thursday: “A Sewing Machine Gives New Life”

Editor’s Note: In celebration of our 25th year of preparing and supporting lay missioners, we look back to our archives at a World Care newsletter from 1993 with an article from returned missioner Brigite Taylor from Class Two serving in Peru and Honduras from 1992-1994. This article was written during her time serving in Honduras.…

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Art from the Angels

Not only did the guests of our World Care Benefit and Celebration come away with hearing some amazing and inspirational speeches, but they were also lucky enough to go home with Guatemalan art work. We were blessed to have received drawings for each of our guests from the students at Valley of the Angels school…

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The Gift of Tongues

Two years ago, a group of students from The Catholic University of America boarded a plane en route to El Paso, Texas for a weeklong immigration immersion trip on the border. They knew very little about each other and even less about the struggles that Central American migrants face on their journeys, but they were…

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Bagels of Love

I love the food here in Bolivia. Cochabamba in particular is known for its food. There are however, a few foods I miss from the US. It’ll be some time before my next Philly Cheesesteak; hamburgers here leave a lot to be desired; and the closest I can come to a Primanti’s sandwich is trancapecho.…

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Nature vs Nurture

Starting in the month of May, Pat and I will begin our endeavor of raising chickens from a day old chick to adulthood. They will be completely reliant on us for the first two weeks of their lives while they live in the brooder we built for them until we place them in the larger…

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Make Noise

Every government has its share of problems. Google “government scandals” are you can learn about Indonesia’s death penalty programs, Italy’s nepotism, or misused aid funds in Greece. Mention the U.S. and the names Nixon, Grant, and Clinton come to mind. Government corruption is nothing new in Guatemala. The country is still recovering from a 36-year civil…

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I Get by with a Little Help from My Friends

Lately my emotions have been all over the place.   I get stressed out when I think of all the stuff I have to bring to and from the US.   I’m stressed out about the missioners who will be leaving Bolivia (for good) while I’m away and won’t be here when I get back. Last but…

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A delicious occasion

Editor’s Note: The following post was written by Nate Mortenson. Community work hours are a required contribution students make at the University of Carmen Pampa. It’s part of students’ life here. They study and work on campus when they don’t have class. Many of the students work in areas where they already are skilled. Some…

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One more year

My third year serving as a Franciscan lay missioner with FMS invited me to become rooted in my community here in Cochabamba, Bolivia. And being rooted in this community has opened my eyes to more of the complexities of the marginalization experienced by our sisters and brothers here. I desire to continue to grow in…

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Lest we forget

I was recently given the unique opportunity to attend the opening mass for the Antilles Episcopal Conference, a meeting for all the bishops from French, English and Dutch territories, except Haiti, of the Caribbean. To show how big of a deal this is, there were 26 bishops there, one cardinal and a papal nuncio (Ambassador…

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Learning to Volunteer

Editor’s Note: * indicates names changed to ensure privacy.  When I cam to FMS in November, I had very little previous experience in volunteering. It was a requirement in high school, but my football coach usually signed us off for moving tables, and I worked in a soup kitchen and food pantry once or twice,…

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Making do

The second week of April we celebrated two confirmations in my parish. Obviously the ideal misa for confirmations and baptisms is the Easter Vigil, but in my parish we often work with what is less than ideal. My parish community is a group of around 40 men who are currently inmates in El Penal de San…

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A Daunting Task

World Health Day was earlier this month, and this year the World Heath Organization is focused on a subject close to my heart: Food Safety. I feel that food safety is an important issue around the world because its use can prevent serious illness and even death—something that, unfortunately, my fellow missioners have witnessed first…

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My “saint Mark”

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist, Gospel writer, and one of the Church’s four living creatures—the lion. Today, as the Church celebrates Saint Mark, I celebrate the life of another “saint Mark.” If we are lucky, we are surrounded by people in our lives who support us tirelessly, who care deeply…

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It is in giving that we receive

Editor’s Note: Current office associate Melissa Montrowl is a veteran volunteer at Lourdes. Her recent blog post on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes illuminates the impact the pilgrimage site has made.  We all know what it feels like to be in the swirling vortex of chaos and busyness known as life. For…

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Throwback Thursday: “Laity Co-Lead with Clergy” by Anselm Moons, OFM

Editor’s Note: In celebration of our 25th year of preparing and supporting lay missioners, we look back to our archives at a World Care newsletter from 1991 in which our founder, Anselm Moons, OFM, describes the changes that need to be made to the idea of evangelization and the role the laity have to play in…

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Simple Prayers

In honor of our 25th anniversary and our nearing World Care Benefit and Celebration, we share a poem with you from our June 1996 World Care newsletter written by returned missioner Fr. George Corrigan. It serves as a reminder to us that we should never be too busy to say a simple prayer to the Lord, and…

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Lent and Larry

As we are still in the Easter season, we remember the many opportunities to reflect on one’s self and determine how to grow as a person beyond the 40 days of preparation during Lent. The sacrifices Jesus made so many years ago afforded the human race a second chance for redemption and the convenience to…

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Learning to be present

“Just be with some people.” Those were Elaine’s words of wisdom to me last week at Calvary Women’s Services. She oversees my work as part of the LEAP program there, and those five words reminded me of my purpose for that afternoon. Ministry of presence is something I am still trying to grasp—even though I’ve…

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Making an impression

Editor’s Note: The following post was written by Nate Mortenson. Pastoral Universitario This is the group Mary and I have been participating in since we moved to the UAC – Carmen Pampa. It’s a wonderful group—usually about 7 to 15 attend the Tuesday evening gatherings where we sing, pray and read from the bible, and…

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“The Challenge of Lay Missioners” by Fr. Anselm Moons

Editor’s Note: In celebration of our 25th year of preparing and supporting lay missioners, we look back to our archives at a World Care newsletter from 1990 in which our founder, Fr. Anselm Moons, OFM, describes the importance of lay missioners and the challenges they face.  On 22 September 1990, after many months of paperwork…

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Lessons through Lax

I was lucky enough to have a tremendous coach when I began playing lacrosse in 2006 at the age of 14. While I wasn’t the slightest bit athletic, or motivated in any way, he found a way to make me both, as I went on to start all four years on an NCAA team and graduate…

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Looking back

I can’t help but remember what I was doing this time last year.  It’s weird because in some ways things have changed so much and in other ways, they are still the same. For starters, I live alone now.  Last year, at this time, I was living with three other people.  We had just moved…

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Clarity through sleepy eyes

As a new Spanish speaker, I often find myself asking for people to repeat themselves in order to understand them. Needless to say, things get lost in translation. Sometimes I can’t tell if I’ve heard the speaker incorrectly, or if he’s actually saying something strange. Most recently, this happened during the week before Holy Week,…

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“I thirst…”

As Jesus hung on the cross, he proclaimed the words “I thirst.” Jesus called out in need of something to drink, but these two words encompassed more than the desire for a drink of water. Jesus was thirsting for a world filled with peace, joy, hope, and most of all a world filled with love.…

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Millennial Lenten Reflections: Light! Love! Joy!

Editor’s Note: The following is the final installment of our Millennial Lenten Reflections blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. We thank you for sharing your faith journey this Lent with us and all who contributed. Peace and all Good.  Just as those first rays of sun illuminated the empty tomb…

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Eternal fulfillment

Last week we celebrated a funeral for one of the parishioners here in Jamaica. The woman had been sick for a long time, so she was now free from the pain and in God’s loving embrace. The Jamaicans have interesting traditions for funerals. Since most people in Jamaica are not Catholic, the mass is separate…

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Millennial Lenten Reflections: That We All Might Be One

Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent.  Perhaps the most radical Christian belief is that of the equal dignity and…

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Millennial Lenten Reflections: Why focus on the cross?

Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent. This reflection ​is partially excerpted from an essay the author wrote​ for TIME on April 18, 201​4​.​ Today Christians around…

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Are you hungry?

From time to time, my ministry site CUBE has short term volunteers from the United States. They come to share their time, learn more about Bolivia, and learn more about the fight against sexual violence. Although they bring the best of intentions, at times they struggle to understand the populations with which they are spending time.…

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Millennial Lenten Reflections: The Supper of the Lamb

Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent.  Tonight we begin the Triduum. Tonight we gather to in remembrance of Christ.…

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Millennial Lenten Reflections: Seraphic courage

Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent.  “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to…

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Millennial Lenten Reflections: A Holy Challenge

Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent.  “My mouth shall declare your justice, day by day your salvation.” (Psalm 71:…

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Millennial Lenten Reflections: Which role will you play?

Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent.  Jesus’ hour has almost come: the actors are ready to play their roles…

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Millennial Lenten Reflections: Do all that you can

Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent.  The anointing of Jesus at the house of Simon the Leper causes quite…

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Millennial Lenten Reflections: Divine Forgiveness

Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent.  In today’s Gospel we hear Caiaphas explain to the Pharisees why he wants…

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Rooted in Mother Earth

Life as a Franciscan missioner is full of transition and change. We learn to expect the unexpected and that we are never in control. And the more I reflect on it, the more I realize that these are all just parts of being an adult, the challenging process of learning to embrace change. The Bolivian…

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Millennial Lenten Reflections: Keep Calm

Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent.  “The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.” Today’s gospel tells us about…

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Millennial Lenten Reflections: Reflect on your actions

Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent.  The image presented to us in today’s Gospel is stark. Jesus, having publicly…

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Millennial Lenten Reflections: The greatest gift

Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent.  For the past few years, I’ve felt especially lucky to have been born…

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All that glitters

“Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight.”— 1 Peter 3:3-4 I have always loved the world of fashion. Some of…

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