Ryan Thibert entered the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers formation program at age 29. Born in Chatham, Ontario, Canada, he has a twin brother and an older sister. His parents, Rox-Ann and Larry, and his parish, All Saints in Strathroy, Ontario, fostered his vocation. After taking his perpetual oath on May 31, 2019, he was assigned to Bolivia. Now 42, he lives at the Maryknoll center and residence in Cochabamba and serves in two local ministries.
One day, I was serving at the Salomon Klein Orphanage for neglected, abused and orphaned children from newborn to 6 years old. Child protective services came with the police, bringing a child around 2 or 3 years old. He was malnourished and in raggedy clothes. The child had not been looked after for some time.
The first thing I did was to feed him, and he couldn’t eat fast enough. There was such a need for nourishment, for that soup. It was a tender moment for me, being with this child in his great moment of need. That’s part of my vocation, just being there. Being a brother and being present.
As a brother, my job is to accompany the children in their day-to-day life. I help them along. I ask myself, what are the needs of each individual child?
In my ministry I use art therapy. I allow the children to use crayons and colored pencils, and we look at themes such as family, or how they see themselves. It gives them a voice to express any built-up trauma.
I also serve at Hogar San José, a home for 50 elderly residents run by the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly.
This ministry has a sense of abandonment, of loneliness. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the families didn’t visit often. During that time, 15 of our residents died.
I assist the men, who have various needs. Some are in wheelchairs, and some are blind. Most have health-related issues. I help them with physiotherapy, helping them get around and get moving.
A lot of it is engagement, sitting down and talking with them one-on-one. “What is your life like at this moment? What are you going through?” Listening to them, hearing their stories.
There’s a phrase, “you are walking on holy ground.” Some of the men come from very difficult situations. Their lives are to be cherished. People need to feel that someone listens to them, that they’re being heard. Ministry is 100 percent relationships, but 90 percent is listening and maybe 10 percent is talking.
Ever since I was very young, I have liked to be in relationship with people. … We all need to be listened to.
I was inspired by the example of Brother André Bessette (Saint André of Montreal). He lived a humble life as a Holy Cross brother, but his ability to listen to people made him a saint.
There’s a lot of sadness, loneliness and despair in the world. How can we go into those moments and see what people need? Look around – these are all our brothers and sisters!
I first came to Bolivia as a candidate, as part of my formation to become a Maryknoll brother. My Overseas Training Program here in Cochabamba had a huge impact on me, especially living with my host parents Elba and Fice Mustafa. I spent time in different ministries, such as a home for men with medical conditions including HIV/AIDS run by the Missionaries of Charity.
Becoming a missioner means being willing to change and adapt and learn. I am very touched and moved by Bolivian culture. People are family oriented and engaging with one another.
After my three years of overseas training, I was assigned to Chicago for a final year of academics and reintegration before taking my permanent oath. Part of my classes was the task of writing up my own story.
As I was writing and praying and reflecting, I realized I was no longer the same person. Going into overseas mission changes you. It changes your heart. You see new things. Your perspectives change. I had a deeper sense of what my vocation is, what God was calling me to do. I wanted to be a brother for the rest of my life.
Here in Cochabamba, we Maryknollers are a community of brothers in mission. We all have a strong vocation, a love of our faith — and we share that with one another. We can rely on one another.
My prayer life keeps me rooted. Without it I would be lost. A deep prayer life gives me focus. I go back to the spring that gives me life-giving water. God calls me day after day to renew that relationship and to be impactful with people I interact with.
The children at the orphanage don’t understand what it means to have constant love from a parent or a sister or brother. As a religious brother I am a brother to all, no matter how old or young they may be.
Caring for the elderly men at the home also helps me to understand the core of my vocation as a brother, to minister to the welfare of the human individual.
Each and every person I minister to, their life matters.
Featured Image: Maryknoll Brother Ryan Thibert greets visitors outside the Salomon Klein Orphanage in Cochabamba, Bolivia, where he serves in two local ministries. (Adam Mitchell/Bolivia)
