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December 16, 2021

Springfield Sister of St. Joseph among 13 new Maryknoll lay missioners

REGIONAL
Staff report

After receiving their mission crosses, Sister Deirdre Griffin (far right) and the other 12 new Maryknoll lay missioners jointly recite their “Commitment Prayer.” (iObserve photo/Pat Norberto)

 

SPRINGFIELD – On Saturday, Dec. 11, Sister Deirdre Griffin, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, was one of 13 new Maryknoll lay missioners who were called forth and sent into mission. The Sending Ceremony for Sister Griffin and the other 12 new missioners took place at the Queen of Apostles Chapel on the Maryknoll campus in Ossining, New York.

The liturgy marked the completion of their eight-week orientation and formation program. The new missioners had participated in that program to prepare themselves for cross-cultural ministries in six countries around the world: Bolivia, Brazil, El Salvador, Kenya, Tanzania, and the U.S.-Mexico border.

Sister Griffin, a native of Medford, Mass., was educated by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston through high school, and has lived in Springfield since 2008. She took her first vows as a Sister of St. Joseph of Springfield in July 2019. Her most recent ministries in the diocese have been as the director of international programs at the College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee; refugee resettlement director at Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts; and director of the Food Pantry and Thrift Store at The Gray House in Springfield’s North End.

Sister Griffin’s road to Maryknoll Lay Missioners began when she heard God’s call amid the pandemic, which she said has exacerbated the needs of the most vulnerable people. She had visited the U.S.-Mexico border three years ago and was attracted to Maryknoll Lay Missioners’ ministry in El Paso, which includes legal advocacy for asylum seekers.

Sister Deirdre Griffin receives her mission cross from Mayknoll Lay Missioners’ director of missions, Marj Humphrey. (iObserve photo/Pat Norberto)

“More and more people have to flee their homes for safety, and to survive,” Sister Griffin said. “I feel an even greater urgency now to be that radical hospitality of God at our borders.”

An attorney with experience in immigration law, Sister Griffin went through a discernment process with her religious community to determine how best to use her legal skills. She said she is confident God will now use those skills “to alleviate some of the sufferings of our neighbors.”

As a Maryknoll missioner, Sister Griffin will be advocating for migrants and asylum seekers in El Paso, Texas, for the next three and a half years.

In his remarks to the new missioners during the celebration, Robert Ellsberg, the publisher of Orbis Books, encouraged them to follow what Pope Francis calls a “journey faith.” In journey faith, he said, “We find God along the way, in history, in the twists and turns of experience, in our unexpected encounters and relationships with others. In this model, we don’t have all the answers in advance. We learn and grow along the way. Stumbling, doubts and uncertainty are all part of the journey. It can be risky, but it is dynamic. It is open to conversion and learning new things. It is open to the surprising promptings of the Holy Spirit.”

During the Sending Ceremony, the new missioners were “called forth” for their three-and-a-half-year ministry commitments in their respective mission regions in both English and the local language of the region.

Sister Deirdre Griffin (third from right, back row) with fellow new missioners after the Sending Ceremony. (iObserve photo/Pat Norberto)

As part of the celebration, the new missioners also received their mission crosses and expressed their commitment “to witness the Good News of Jesus Christ, in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are marginalized and oppressed.” They committed themselves “to care for the earth, our common home, and to respond in service to help create a more just and compassionate world.”

This year’s “Class of 2021” is Maryknoll Lay Missioners’ largest since 2005. The new lay missioners come from 10 different states and include people who are single and married, and one religious sister. They will depart early in the new year for their respective mission sites, where they will receive extensive in-country language training and cultural orientation before they begin their ministry assignments.

Since 1975, more than 700 Maryknoll lay missioners have been sent into mission to work with those at the margins for a more just, compassionate and sustainable world in Africa, Asia and the Americas. Today they continue to serve in nine countries in a wide range of ministries that include health care and health promotion, education and leadership development, justice and peace, faith formation and pastoral care, and sustainable development.
For more information on Maryknoll Lay Missioners, visit mklm.org.

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