Voices of Lay Missioners

Marj Humphrey

In 1978, Marjorie (Marj) Humphrey moved to New York City to work for the Catholic Worker movement. There she met Sr. Mercy Hirschboeck, the Maryknoll Sisters’ First Doctor, whom inspired her into a career of medicine, health care, and mission. In 1986, Marj graduated as a Physician Assistant from Sisters of Charity Medical Center on Staten Island. A year later she was accepted into the Maryknoll Lay Missioner program. Her first assignment was to Kenya, starting in December 1987.

Marj has been a part of the Maryknoll Lay Missioners for over 35 years, 17 years of which spent in Kenya. In her Voices of Our World interview, Marj speaks about her time at the Kitale AIDS Clinic working with the Sisters of St. Mary. Marj tells several stories about the people she served in Kenya, some with happier ends than others. Listen to her powerful words and the emotional stories she shares.

Marj Humphrey is now undertaking one final mission to Kenya, advocating for non-violence and justice issues. If you are interested in learning more, check out this article here.

Patty Santos

Patricia (Patty) Santos has always been familiar with Latin America and Mission. Much of her childhood was spent in Colombia and Mexico, eventually moving to the United States for higher education. After graduating with a BA in Sociology, she spent two years missioned in Venezuela with the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, MN. There Patty became acquainted with several Maryknoll Lay Missioners working out of Caracas.

Patty’s time in Venezuela eventually brought her back to Maryknoll, though with her family this time. Patty Santos, her husband Doug Meeker (whom also had missioner experience), and their three sons became a part of the Lay Missioner Class of 2002. The family went to mission in Brazil, where Patty’s ministry chose her. Instead of opening the literacy center she had planned, Patty was pulled towards a women’s holistic health center started by two Maryknoll Sisters.

In her Voices of our World interview, Patty offers a look into some of the work Maryknoll is doing at the center to encourage healthy eating. Her interview focuses on yams and how to cook them into a nutritious meal. The ladies at the center teach Patty as much as she teaches them.

Patty and her family finished their mission in 2006, returning to their home in Minneapolis.

Vicki Armour-Hileman

A native New Yorker, Victoria (Vicki) Armour-Hileman joined the Maryknoll Lay Missioners in 1988. Her first mission was aiding Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong. In 1992, she started a new assignment with Burmese refugees in Thailand, working closely with the Mon Buddhist Monks. This mission is the basis for her book, Singing to the Dead: A Missioner’s Life among Refugees from Burma, published in 2002.

In Vicki’s Voices of Our World interview, she speaks about her new book and some of her experiences in Thailand amongst the refugees. Vicki details how she provided assistance of all kinds to the refugees. This assistance included giving medical supplies, food, and aiding refugees seeking asylum in other countries.

Vicki’s mission in Thailand was cut short in 1994 when the Maryknoll Mission Association of the Faithful was established. This created a standalone entity for the Maryknoll Lay Missioners, and Vicki was elected to serve on its first leadership team. She served in this capacity until 2003. Later she returned to serve as Admissions Director, a role she held until 2023.