Behind every missioner is “an infinity of faces” who make their work possible, writes Maryknoll Father Alejandro Marina from Bolivia.
The mission of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers in Bolivia and in the world is possible thanks to countless invisible faces. They are of the people behind the scenes who, through their daily service, make it possible for us to carry out our mission. Two of those invisible faces are those of Zulema Flores Balderrama and Scarley Morales Patiño, our cooks and house staff.
They have been working at our center for more than 15 years and follow in the footsteps of other women who worked here before them, Zulema’s mother-in-law and Scarley’s mother. Both confide that working with the Maryknoll missioners has been a blessing; it has given them the opportunity to grow as people and professionally, and at the same time to feel part of the missionary work of the Society. In recent years, eight staff members have collaborated with us. With their help, the expenses for apostolic projects and the needs of the house are managed. Our property is cleaned and kept in order and our vehicles are maintained so we can go places to serve. We – the missioners – could do all the tasks needed, but having these collaborators allows us to dedicate ourselves fully to the mission.
Scarley joined Maryknoll 16 years ago, when her mother retired and she took the position. Zulema came to work here 24 years ago, when Brother Alexander Walsh, the center’s administrator at the time, needed help. Zulema eventually replaced her mother-in-law, doña Irma, in the kitchen.
Zulema recalls that at first, for her, it was only a job, but over time everything changed. “I got to know the Maryknoll missioners and the mission they carried out. For my part, I tried to participate,” says Zulema. “Whether it’s cooking what was needed or going to help out at mission sites. And offering cooking workshops to women or preparing sweets for children.”
For Zulema, working at the Maryknoll center in Cochabamba meant professional growth, as Maryknoll offered her the possibility of studying to become a professional chef. Brother Antonio López attended her graduation. Since then, she perfected her skills, and today she is a recognized chef in Cochabamba and on a national level.
Scarley says that her mother, when working with Maryknoll missioners, brought home the Spanish-language Revista Maryknoll magazines (now Misioneros). There she learned about what the missioners were doing. In her neighborhood, Scarley participated in a youth group run by the Sisters of St. Joseph. She accompanied them in offering catechism at the Church of Santa Monica and in their social work by going to serve in a home for the elderly.
“When I finished high school, I entered the university to study pedagogy, but due to economic reasons, I suspended my studies to take a technical degree that would allow me to enter the workforce,” Scarley says. “When I came to work at Maryknoll, I loved hearing the missioners’ stories.”
She recalls that Maryknoll Father Kenneth Moody used to share anecdotes about his mission in K’ara K’ara, a poor neighborhood in Cochabamba. And she told him that when her children were older, she would like them to participate in mission. She still feels this way.
It is beautiful to see how Maryknoll’s charism permeates the lives of the people around us. They take on the daily tasks as an essential part of the Society’s labor of mission.
Zulema and Scarley are not just cooks or cleaning staff; they consider themselves missioners and they look for ways to help even more so that Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers can serve others.
“Our mission is to get everything ready so that the missioners can dedicate themselves 100% to their mission,” Scarley says. “I concern myself with taking care of their health, taking into account what is good for them, what they cannot eat, and what each one likes. I am also aware that the people who visit the house should feel welcomed.”
Both say that hearing stories from the missioners, and the simplicity with which they live, has inspired them to have a spirit of solidarity that they put into practice in their neighborhoods.
So when you meet a missioner from Maryknoll or another religious family, know that behind each face there is an infinity of invisible faces that make it possible to serve in mission. Let’s pray and give thanks for them always.
Father Alejandro Marina, born in Argentina, joined Maryknoll in 2012 and is the local superior at the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers center in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
Featured image: Zulema Flores Balderrama and Scarley Morales Patiño, cooks and house staff at the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers and Brothers center and residence in Cochabamba, Bolivia, are two of “an infinity” of faces of people behind the scenes who make mission possible. (Courtesy of Alejandro Marina/Bolivia)
