Labor Daze

EMPLOYEES at Maryknoll facilities in the States and around the world are, bar none, the most hardworking, loyal, conscientious, creative and long-suffering bunch you could ever hope to find. On several occasions in the midst of blizzards when roads are impassible and Maryknoll joins the ranks of places closed due to weather, the stalwart souls of our Sodexo food service trudge up the hills and through the blinding snow just so Father or Brother can have his hot oatmeal.

Many workers come in early and stay late to get the job done. Several "go the extra mile" to accommodate a Maryknoller's request even when that doesn't fall under their job description.

Our people in Health Services (who deserve their own post on the excellent health care they provide), both at the Center and at our retirement homes, take their jobs and our health concerns very seriously---tracking us down and hounding us about impending appointments or tests or check-ups.

They gamely put up with our lack of communications, even when they worked in the communications department. They kept slogging away in the development department even when they weren't aware of any discernible development.

And they take great pride in their work, whether it's keeping our grounds impeccably manicured or our floors shiny or our rooms clean or our mail answered or our cars serviced. They ship our supplies to the farthest corners of the earth with a smile. They take our chaotic blatherings (called "meetings") and neatly file them away for our future reference. They figure out our muddled finances and make sense out of our tax returns when lesser mortals such as Albert Einstein would have been reduced to tears.

Their spirituality, prayer life and faith put us "professional" missioners to shame. They overlook our foibles and failings. I have noticed a greater "Maryknoll Spirit" among certain employees than even some Maryknollers have.

From what I have seen of our people overseas, this holds doubly true for them. They might not totally understand our work and mission, but they believe in it because they believe in us.

So we salute you, workers of Maryknoll, on this Labor Day 2009. Now get back to work!