Maryknoll Lay Missioners (MKLM) is a Roman Catholic organization inspired by the mission of Jesus to live and work in poor communities in Africa, Asia, and North America, responding to basic needs and helping to create a more just and compassionate world.
Maryknoll Lay Missioners is motivated by a profound tradition of Catholic Social Teachings and is grounded in the history and spirit of the Maryknoll mission family. Since 1975, MKLM has worked alongside the Maryknoll Fathers, Brothers, and Sisters to respond to Jesus’ call to serve the poor and marginalized. In 1994, MKLM was established as an independent non-profit organization with church recognition, having separate leadership and governance from the other Maryknoll entities and raising its own funding. MKLM maintains a close working relationship with the Fathers, Brothers, Sisters and Affiliates.
MKLM is one of the largest lay Catholic mission-sending organizations in the U.S. and possesses 40 years of experience in supporting laity in overseas mission. The organization has prepared approximately 700 missioners to serve overseas over this time. MKLM recruits new missioners (single people, married couples and families with children); helps potential missioners through a discernment process; trains new missioners with an intensive 10-week orientation; provides ongoing mission education, including language and cultural experiential learning; and helps match missioners’ talents with the needs of the population they will serve. The organization provides for its missioners a living allowance, health insurance, worker’s compensation, life insurance, retirement plan, human resource support and initial travel to and from mission. MKLM helps to transition missioners returning to the U.S., including re-entry counseling, limited employment counseling and networking.
MKLM Leadership:
Sam Stanton, Executive Director
Margaret Cambier, Mission Director