25th Anniversary of MMAF

25th Anniversary of the MMAF
4-6 May 2001
Maryknoll, New York

25 Years of the Lay Mission Program
The Maryknoll priests and brothers (the Maryknoll Society) were established in 1911 as a foreign mission outreach of the US Catholic Church. The Maryknoll sisters were established a year or two later. In the late 1960s a movement developed to bring lay people into mission according to the Maryknoll charism, and in 1975 the Lay Mission Office was officially established. There had been several lay people working in mission with Maryknoll prior to that, but now there was a formal program established as part of the Maryknoll Society.
In 1990, the Society's General Chapter decided to seek official constitutional recognition of the lay program as an integral part of the Society, but this was rejected by Rome. The lay mission program was then established as the Maryknoll Mission Association of the Faithful, the third entity under the larger Maryknoll umbrella, formally inaugurated in 1994.
Both the Maryknoll priests and brothers and the Maryknoll sisters helped in the creation of the MMAF. Today the MMAF headquarters is located at Bethany, a former nursing facility of the sisters, located near the main centers of the Society and Congregation.

4 May--FridayToday was gathering day for the anniversary celebration and people really started arriving in late afternoon, those coming from farther away who are staying in the Bethany building. The first official activity was an informal supper of chili, salad, and cornbread prepared by Sharon Raynor, followed by an optional tour of the three Maryknoll campuses for those who haven't seen the changes of the last 25 years.

Eileen Charleton preparing the main corridor
Eileen Charleton, the director of the Mission Services Department, puts finishing touches on a display honoring the four MMAFers who have been with the program the full 25 years.
Ada-May Preston looks for the right letters of the alphabet to complete a display.

Ellen Cowhey in her office
Ellen Cowhey, the director of the new program to involve former MMAFers, was one of the main organizers of the anniversary celebration. Sharon Raynor preparing the salad
Sharon Raynor moves from the Mission Services Department to the loading dock where she prepares salad for the informal opening meal.

The first guests arrive
Former missioners in the lay mission program return to Bethany. Chuck Lathrop (far left) was a first co-director of the new program. New arrivals in the corridor
Fran Kramer, Cathy Rowan, Mary Mantey, and Heidi Cernaka meet new friends and renew old acquaintances in Bethany's front corridor.

Dinner together again after 25 years
Old timers, lay missioners before Maryknoll had a formal program, recall the good old days. Washing dishes
Wynnie-Fred Victor, Heidi Cernaka, Jim Campion, Kathy Wright, and Katie Raynor take a first turn on the dish-washing machine.

Go to Day 2 of the Anniversary Celebration, Saturday, 5 May
Go to Day 3 of the Anniversary Celebration, Sunday, 6 May

Return to MMAF page
Return to Charlie Dittmeier's home page

4 May--FridayToday was gathering day for the anniversary celebration and people really started arriving in late afternoon, those coming from farther away who are staying in the Bethany building. The first official activity was an informal supper of chili, salad, and cornbread prepared by Sharon Raynor, followed by an optional tour of the three Maryknoll campuses for those who haven't seen the changes of the last 25 years.
Eileen Charleton, the director of the Mission Services Department, puts finishing touches on a display honoring the four MMAFers who have been with the program the full 25 years.	Ada-May Preston looks for the right letters of the alphabet to complete a display.
Ellen Cowhey, the director of the new program to involve former MMAFers, was one of the main organizers of the anniversary celebration.	Sharon Raynor moves from the Mission Services Department to the loading dock where she prepares salad for the informal opening meal.
Former missioners in the lay mission program return to Bethany. Chuck Lathrop (far left) was a first co-director of the new program.	Fran Kramer, Cathy Rowan, Mary Mantey, and Heidi Cernaka meet new friends and renew old acquaintances in Bethany's front corridor.
Old timers, lay missioners before Maryknoll had a formal program, recall the good old days.	Wynnie-Fred Victor, Heidi Cernaka, Jim Campion, Kathy Wright, and Katie Raynor take a first turn on the dish-washing machine.