MMM Area of the Americas

Brazil

“God calls each one by name” (MMM Constitution 2.1)

Responding to God’s radical call to mission, two Irish sisters — Sheila Lanehan and Brigid McDonagh (both now deceased) — arrived in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1969. With deep faith and dedication, they began their missionary work among the people living in the peripheries of the city, serving tirelessly and witnessing to God’s healing love.

“We are a congregation of women bringing about the healing love of God.”

Over the years, other Medical Missionaries of Mary (MMM) sisters joined the mission in Brazil. Together they served communities in four states: São Paulo, Paraná, Bahia, and Mato Grosso. Through many different ministries, they accompanied women, children, young people, and the elderly, promoting healing, empowerment, and hope.

“In the world, your community is called to show forth the love and compassion of Christ who came to heal.” (MMM Constitutions 9.3)

OUR MISSION AND COMMUNITY LIFE

As a community, we seek to make visible the healing love of God through:

Prayer and spiritual life

Working together for healing and human development

Collaboration with others

We partner with people of goodwill, including MMM lay associates, Church leaders, other religious congregations, and local institutions.

Inspired by the Gospel story of the Visitation:

“Mary set out and went with haste to the hill country to visit her cousin Elizabeth.” (cf. Luke 1:39–45)

This encounter inspires us to remain a missionary community in movement, going out to meet those who are most in need.

WHERE WE ARE
Today, the Medical Missionaries of Mary are present in two regions of Brazil:

Salvador – Bahia
Salvador, the first capital of Brazil, is a vibrant city of about 2.5 million people. It is widely known for its rich cuisine, music, and architecture. The strong African influence on its traditions and culture makes Salvador one of the most important centers of Afro-Brazilian culture.

Alto Boa Vista – Mato Grosso
Alto Boa Vista is a small municipality located in northeastern Mato Grosso state with approximately 5,920 inhabitants. It is about 1,109 km from the state capital. The local economy is based mainly on agriculture, cattle ranching, and trade.

OUR MINISTRIES
The Medical Missionaries of Mary in Brazil serve the people through a variety of ministries that promote healing, wellbeing, and spiritual growth.

Complementary Therapies and Community Support
• Tai Chi
• Women Support Group
• Capacity building in rural communities
• Youth ministry
• Home visits
• Massage and trauma-healing sessions
• Family constellation sessions

• Pastoral Ministry
  Vocation animation
  Formation of catechists
  Parish liturgy
  Family wellbeing programs
  Health pastoral care
  Women Spiritual retreats

By your lives, proclaim the Good News, encourage Christians to be communities of faith and evangelization” (MMM Const 9.9)

USA

“Your community will then be a sign of hope”
(MMM Constitutions 3.6)

( from Mother Mary’s Visit to the US in the early 1950’s)

In 1950 Mother Mary came to America hoping to make friends for the congregation, who would eventually become long term supporters of our various ministries. Imagine our congregation was then only 13 years old!! For Mother Mary, coming to America was an opportunity to plant the “seed” of vocation promotion and to exercise her hope for more hands to make the missionary needs lighter. Mother Mary had a vision for what the wider congregation would look like and certainly her vision has come to fruition in the many faithful friends we have made here in the US since 1950.

During the last 76 years our American sisters have trained as nurses, midwives, doctors, dentists, social workers and business administrators. Ours has been a globetrotting vocation – our passports have been stamped showing our traveling to and living in Brazil, Honduras, Ireland, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, So Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Today some of us volunteer, in addition to other ministries we have, with a Senior Living Community helping in their administration, gardening, and visiting those who have no visitors and need a helping hand or cheerful smile.

Wherever we are, we believe, including our AMMM’s (Associate Medical Missionaries of Mary) here, that giving time is as important as giving talents and this is something we often do when visiting a local prison, visiting our own sick sisters or family members in different nursing facilities and participating in parish activities.

We are committed to Social Justice Issues and as a result we collaborate with various religious groups that hold similar values to our own here in the US including the US Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious at national and regional level and Nuns against Gun Violence. Monthly meeting of Justice Promoter

• The Alliance to End Human Trafficking

                                     
• JCWR (Justice Conference for Women Religious)

Committed to the gospel of Jesus and grounded in Catholic Social Teaching the Justice Conference of Women Religious (JCWR) strives to strengthen the voice of congregations of Women Religious for justice and peace and the integrity of creation.

• Nuns against Gun Violence

Nuns Against Gun Violence advocates for common-sense, evidence-based solutions to end the gun violence epidemic in the United States. Rooted in our faith and commitment to human dignity, we prioritize approaches that are informed by research, data, and the lived experiences of those most affected. Our work is strengthened through collaboration with like-minded organizations, experts in the field, and communities striving for peace, justice, and systemic change.

• Laudato Si Promoters

Where we try to inspire and encourage others to care for our common home and achieve climate and ecological justice, in collaboration with all people of goodwill.

After 76 years we continue to have a passion for our healing charism, and we share this as we continue to make friends and engage with others in our day-to-day lives.