El Paso, Texas was once a vibrant site for people crossing the border, supported by volunteers from across the country and the world who come to give and share their compassion, support, and care for the migrants. Maryknoll’s presence in the Borderlands of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez dates back to 2004 when Maryknoll Sister Josephine Lucker first served with other sisters, priests, and lay missioners. Sr. Josephine belongs to the Magoffin family (https://thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/magoffin-home), a pioneer of El Paso.
After 21 years of Maryknoll expressions of commitment and service (priests, brothers, sisters, lay missioners) in El Paso, the Maryknoll Sisters and Maryknoll Lay Missioners collaborated to develop the Maryknoll Monarch Initiative (MMI), an education and training program with a focus on Care for the Earth, Human Migration and Nonviolence among other priorities to respond to the signs of the times. This educational ministry is an extension of Maryknoll Mission Institute which begun in New York in 1969 and is now known as Maryknoll Sisters Institute for One Earth Community. The Director of this Institute is Sr. Helene O’Sullivan. (Register here for their webinars and online classes).
Cognizant of the possibilities for online education to reach a wider audience while also wanting to honor the power of in-person connection, the Maryknoll Monarch Initiative is offering courses in three modes: in-person, online, and hybrid. In March the MMI was formally launched with the “Hope and Resilience on the Border” Seminar which was in a hybrid format. The recordings of the presentations may be viewed here.
Sr. Esperanza Principio from Maryknoll Sisters and Duncan Hilton from Maryknoll Lay Missioners are the Co-Coordinators of the MMI. They have planned three-part webinar series on Nonviolence and Care for the Earth for June and July respectively. The speakers come from all over the world and will represent theoretical, theological, and grassroot perspectives. Online lecture series and programs are for 90 minutes with a time for Q&A. The webinars are free but donations are welcome. Learn more about the speakers and register at the MMI website.