The Missionary Vocation of all the Baptized

The Associate Maryknollers that I have known over the years have been very clear about their vocation to mission ad gentes. While grateful to the Maryknoll Society for facilitating the living out of that vocation, they do not see themselves as "helpers" or as "volunteers" rather, as full fledged missionaries, a small distinction but with many implications. Though many Associates have technical skills and abilities in agriculture, accounting, electronics, computer and business expertise, etc., they do not see their contribution in terms of their skill, but in terms of their faith commitment and Christian witness. Some Associates prefer to use their "secular" skills while others prefer more direct involvement in "Church" related tasks. There is a tendency to see the role of the laity in mission ad gentes as auxiliaries to the priests and religious, it is a challenge to understand the role of the laity as missionaries in their own right, to accept and work with Lay Associates as full partners. We should distinguish a program for "lay missionaries" from a program for lay or clerical volunteers or technical experts who wish to support a missionary or a particular mission program in a limited capacity.

Another tendency is to consider an associate program as a source for future vocations to the missionary institute. The challenge is to understand and develop the lay missionary vocation while at the same time promoting the vocations to the institute, without simply reducing the associate program to the status of a new source of vocations. Vocations from among the associates, have emerged, but the Associate Program has a value and importance in and of itself as a vehicle for the living out of the missionary vocation to which all are called by virtue of their baptism and the priesthood of the faithful.