MMM Area of the Americas

Brazil

“You are called to an extraordinary adventure:Your life is mission. It is rooted in the mystery of the Incarnation…”
(MMM Const. 2.3)

We have been present in Brazil since 1969. The pioneers of MMM were two Irish Sisters: Sheila Lenehan and Brigid McDonagh (both deceased). Throughout the years we have been serving the Brazilian people in different pastoral ministries.

We are committed to mission and community living. Our lives are nourished by prayer. We are inspired by the encounter of Mary who went in haste to be with Elizabeth (Luke 1. 39-56).

Our MMM core values and Healing Charism in Brazil are expressed by our work in collaboration with lay people, Church leaders, other Congregations and Local Institutions.

We are currently present in two locations: Salvador and Alto Boa Vista, Bahia and Mato Grosso States respectively.

Salvador

Salvador is the capital city of Bahia State; it is a historical city with approximately 2.4 million inhabitants with 41% living in the periphery.
We are three MMM Sisters living in Salvador.  We are engaged in the following ministries: Vocation Animation, Youth Ministry, Women Empowerment, supporting needy families, Home Visits etc.  We hope to express our healing Charism through our way of living with the people

Alto Boa Vista
Alto Boa Vista is a rural town with a population of 5.715 (Brazilian Institute of Statistics 2022). It is located 1109km away from the Capital City of Mato Grosso State.

We are three MMM Sisters living in Alto Boa Vista and we are engaged in the following ministries: Pastoral of Health (Complementary Therapies: Tai Chi and circular conversations (rodas de conversa) with women, capacity building in the rural areas, youth ministry, home visits, pastoral ministry: formation of catechists, parish liturgy, family wellbeing (pastoral familiar).

“I am doing a new thing. Can you not see it?”  Isaias 43: 19.

We are bearers of the Healing Charism through our way of living as we are inserted among the people.

The MMM Associates
There are nine Associates in Brazil located in different parts of Bahia State. They are engaged in different pastoral ministries: formation of catechists, parish liturgy, family wellbeing (pastoral familiar). Listening and counselling to families who have children with special and youth ministry.

“The expression of the Healing Charism in the Area of the Americas is unique and enriches MMM”. (Acts of 11th Congregational Chapter 2021)

“In the worldour community is called
to show forth the love
and compassion of Christ
who came to heal
and to liberate.
Therefore, we allow Christ’s healing love
to come alive in our hearts,
to be active in our community.”
(MMM Const. 9.3)

USA

Be present to the peoples of today. Share their joy and hope, their anguish and struggle. Live in solidarity with those who suffer.
Your community will then be a sign of hope.
(MMM Constitutions 3.6)

Background information
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 benefactors and friends we have made here in the US since 1950. Over the years, MMM has had a presence in Chicago, City Island in the Bronx, San Ysidro in California, Clinchco VA in Appalachia, and various houses in the Boston Area…always making friends and telling the story of our healing mission.  Today, we are present in the Boston area in Somerville and in Appalachia and from there continue to be a healing presence in all the ways we can.

Mother Mary outside our 1st home in the US.

Our present reality
Despite our small numbers in the United States we continue, to this day, being a presence to the peoples of today.  Our home in Somerville is the community from which sisters are living in a variety of local care facilities depending on their needs.

Sr Bernie Kenny, in Appalachia, continues to extend hope to those she meets each day. Giving chair massages, Healing touch and a listening ear. Others of us volunteer, in addition to other ministries we have, with the Senior Living Community across the street from our MMM home in Somerville MA, helping in their administration, gardening, and visiting needs, especially with those who are in need either of a helping hand or a cheerful smile. Wherever we are, we believe, giving time is as important as giving talents and this is something we do often when visiting a local prison, visiting our own sick sisters or family members in different nursing facilities.

We collaborate with various groups that hold similar values to our own including the US Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious at national and regional level, other groups working towards social justice and integrity of creation as well as connecting with our associates and the wider congregation.

Srs Joan Grumbach, Teri McDnough, Joanne Bierl, Nina Underwood, Kathie Shea, MaryAnn MacRae, Carol Breslin and Kay Lawlor

As well, 2 of us continue the ministry work of the Mission Development Office, along with one of our AMMM’s who works remotely. The Mission Development Office is a congregational ministry that grew out of Mother Mary’s vision for the USA.  Through it we keep in touch with our donors, keep them informed of the various mission needs and activities, and travel around the USA as part of the Missionary Cooperative Program speaking in different parishes telling the MMM story.  We also actively engage with circles of MMM friends.

It is always about a shared passion for our healing charism and building relationships that nurture healing and transformation.  We, here in the US try do our part to engage in the world in a positive way.

Margie Walsh and her daughter

We would be remiss if we did not mention Covenant Health with whom we collaborate.  Through them we have employed a Care Manager who assists all our sisters in Massachusetts in a variety of ways. Margie exudes an enthusiasm for life which is in word and deed contagious and keeps a good eye on the needs of each sister in the various care facilities where they live.

We are also blessed to have a wonderful group of women who live in various parts of the United States who are our AMMM’s (Associate Medical Missionaries of Mary). As circumstances allow they join us for some of our gatherings, including by Zoom, and we always know they carry us and MMM’s around the world in their prayers. We are particularly pleased that they also keep in contact with AMMM’s in other parts of the congregation – Brazil, Ireland and Honduras.

Nancy Hinds, Martha Acuna and Jill Garrou, AMMM

In all of our years year as Medical Missionaries of Mary in the United States …we remember with gratitude the Hope and Vision of Mother Mary who came to the United States to make friends who to this day are still supporters of MMM worldwide.

Our Chapel in our MMM Somerville House