Reviewing the lineup of this issue of Maryknoll, it is at once a sobering view of our unsettled world and a reflection of faith that hopes for and works for the kingdom of peace.
Three of our feature articles come from areas of current strife: Peru, Ukraine and South Sudan. Another comes from a country once synonymous with “killing fields,” Cambodia. In Ukraine, we meet Catholics responding to the needs of their compatriots displaced by the Russian invasion. From Peru, we hear a Maryknoll sister share her insight into civil unrest there, where earlier this year campesinos and Indigenous people took to the streets. From South Sudan, a Maryknoll priest recounts meeting Pope Francis, who traveled to the East African nation mired in civil war to plead for an end to bloodshed. Just as we are inspired by the Holy Father’s visit to Africa, so we are moved by the mission of Maryknollers around the world who cultivate peace while working for justice.
Justice often takes the form of opportunity, and in this issue we visit a Maryknoll lay missioner in Cambodia who helps deaf people find language, community and purpose through education. In another story, out of Kenya, we meet a young boy with HIV who was once abandoned but now thrives in school thanks to Maryknoll’s assistance.
Finally, we bring you this year’s winning essays from our Maryknoll Student Essay Contest in which young people share their own dreams for a better world.
Lynn F. Monahan
Editor-in-Chief
