Rosa Beatriz Castañeda de Larios says that Maryknoll spirituality is “inherent” to her life. From first grade, she was formed by Maryknoll sisters at Colegio Monte María in Guatemala City.
Castañeda’s friend Rosa María de León, who also attended Monte María, adds, “She drank it in like mother’s milk.”
Now, Castañeda helps keep the Maryknoll spirit alive in Guatemala by leading the country’s chapter of the Maryknoll Affiliates. The affiliates identify with the Maryknoll family while remaining active in their professions, homes and communities. Each affiliate commits to living out the four pillars of community, spirituality, global vision and action. Since 1991, chapters have taken root worldwide.
The nucleus of the Guatemala chapter’s founding was Colegio Monte María. “Most of us are graduates,” says Castañeda, who earned a primary school teaching degree there in 1966.
Colegio Monte María stood out among the capital city’s prestigious all-girls schools, she says, because the Maryknoll sisters “were ahead of their time.”
De León explains that in those days women weren’t supposed to think for themselves, nor take initiative. Yet, she recalls, Maryknoll Sister Elizabeth McDermott had a favorite saying: “Think and then act.”
Another distinguishing aspect of the school, Castañeda says, was service. Maryknoll sisters who worked with Indigenous communities in rural areas gave talks inviting students to perform a month of service.
In Guatemala City, the sisters organized a volunteer network to help people in need, such as squatters at the municipal garbage dump. The missioners showed respect for the dignity of every person, Castañeda says, setting an example to follow.
In 1978, Sister Patricia Roe asked Castañeda to become principal of Monte María — a role she would hold for 34 years. That same year, Castañeda married; Maryknoll sisters later became honorary grandmothers to the couple’s three children. They celebrated Christmas together every year.
Christmas gatherings continue at Castañeda’s home — now, including Maryknoll affiliates.
Although their Affiliates chapter was not formalized until 2009, Castañeda says, most of its members had long histories with Maryknoll.
She recalls the day that the late Maryknoll Father Thomas Goekler came to her with an urgent plea: “I need help in Zone 18.” The priest was starting a neighborhood center in one of the city’s poorest and most crime-ridden areas.
“So we started going every Saturday to Zone 18, setting up the house,” she says. The Affiliates chapter continues to support the project, called Caminando Por La Paz (Walking for Peace).
Approximately four times a year, Castañeda, de León and other affiliates venture further afield, to the remote town of Catarina near the Mexico border. There, they offer educational workshops for health promoters trained by Maryknoll Sister Mary Lou Daoust.
In the nearby town of Pajapita, they support a project for people with HIV/AIDS run by Maryknoll Sister Delia Marie “Dee” Smith. The affiliates sell organic honey, fertilizer, eggs and other products in Guatemala City to benefit the ministry. Three of its staff have joined the Affiliates.
There are currently 45 members in the very active Guatemala chapter, Castañeda says proudly.
De León says that every undertaking “needs a driving force — someone who doesn’t mind pulling people along, persisting with them, and recognizing their skills and best qualities.” Castañeda, she says, “is that driving force.”
Soon after she retired from Monte María in 2012, Castañeda, who is fluent in English, began to translate the Maryknoll Affiliates newsletter, “Not So Far Afield.”
Before long, she and other affiliates saw the need to move beyond mere translation. The Guatemala chapter spearheaded an original Spanish-language version titled “No Tan Lejos Del Horizonte,” offering reports and reflections from Latin America on a quarterly basis.
As the 2017 Maryknoll Affiliates Chapter conference drew near, Guatemala accepted the challenge of hosting the international gathering. “It was the first time the event took place outside of the United States,” Castañeda says, noting that it took two years to prepare. They were made for it, she adds, explaining that Monte María’s alumnae include professionals in various fields.
The chapter’s organizing expertise was called on again for a two-day virtual gathering in 2024. The 85 participants, affiliates from around the world, deepened their commitment to Maryknoll’s charism under the theme “Cultural diversity is our collective wealth.”
As if to bring this theme to life, Castañeda has stepped into a new role. Having served on the Maryknoll Affiliates board of directors and executive committee, she was recently named board chair.
“The Affiliate movement has been trying to emphasize and more intently respond to our international nature,” says Robert Short, affiliate and executive coordinator. “Having Rosa Beatriz as our chair will give that a boost.”
Featured image: Rosa Beatriz Castañeda de Larios, a Maryknoll affiliate and lifelong educator, gives workshops for immersion trips run by Maryknoll’s Mission Formation Ministry. (Octavio Durán/Guatemala)
