Maryknoll Lay Missioners Announces Student Loan Repayment Program, Opening Doors for Future Generations of Mission Outreach
MARYKNOLL, N.Y., Aug. 10, 2016 /
Christian Newswire/ -- Maryknoll Lay Missioners is excited to announce our Student Loan Repayment Program. This innovative program, launched in 2016, was made possible by the generosity of an MKLM supporter. Upon presenting us with this gift, the donor stated, "Maryknoll Lay Missioners has turned an important corner in recent times and has a bright future. I want to continue partnering in this amazing growth."
The Student Loan Repayment Program is available to all active Maryknoll Lay Missioners during the time they are under contract with MKLM. During their time in service, MKLM will pay the Missioner's monthly student loan payment, freeing individuals of this financial burden as they minister to the poor and marginalized in Asia, Africa and the Americas. This program will assist MKLM in attracting and retaining committed, service-minded individuals who want to make a difference in the world.
"The number of students borrowing for their education is increasing, as is the amount an average student owes," said Joanne Blaney, MKLM Mission Services Director. "We are delighted to offer the Student Loan Repayment Program so that our Lay Missioners can focus on the most important thing, sharing Christ's compassion and love with those in need and working to change unjust structures around the world."
MKLM invites Catholics who are 21 years or older to join for an initial three-and-a-half year commitment, and welcomes single people, married couples or families
to apply. The orientation program offered to new Lay Missioner candidates is rich in authenticity, designed to address both practical and spiritual preparation for overseas mission work. Lay Missioners who join the program are not only eligible for the new Student Loan Repayment Program, but also receive a number of other benefits, such as:
• Health insurance coverage while overseas for individuals and families
• In-country, full-time language training
• 10-week onsite orientation training in New York, with childcare financed and provided for families
• 529 College Savings Program for children of missioner families
Maryknoll Lay Missioners' values are steeped in the tradition of Catholic social teaching. Through the outreach and service efforts of our Lay Missioners, MKLM seeks to change unjust structures and promote forgiveness. Our Lay Missioners work in Asia, Africa and the Americas to assist those living in extreme poverty, victims of human trafficking, people in prison and those affected by war and urban violence. They offer their compassion and skills through more than 100 ministries which encompass healthcare, education, compassionate care of children and orphans, microenterprise, faith formation and restorative justice.
"The generosity and vision of this supporter has made the Student Loan Repayment Program possible," said Matt Boyle, MKLM Executive Director. "We are grateful for the blessings this supporter has bestowed on us. Their foresight has helped pave the way for committed Catholics eager to embark on overseas service to realize the call to mission and has afforded current Lay Missioners with greater financial security."
About Maryknoll Lay Missioners (MKLM)
Maryknoll Lay Missioners was initiated in 1975 to recognize and celebrate lay people (non-religious) as active participants in global mission. The organization, which became an independent entity in 1995, emerged from the Maryknoll tradition that was started more than 100 years ago. Maryknoll Lay Missioners (MKLM) is an independent organization that raises all of its own resources to recruit, train, send and sustain our Lay Missioners.
Throughout MKLM's 40-year history, more than 700 single people, married couples and families from the United States Catholic Church have served in mission in some of the world's poorest communities. Inspired by the mission of Jesus, Maryknoll Lay Missioners live and work with the poor and marginalized in Africa, Asia and the Americas, responding to basic needs and helping create a more just and compassionate world. Learn more online at
www.mklm.org and
facebook.com/MaryknollLayMissioners.
