Lives of Services: Stories from Maryknoll

'Lives of Service' gives us an inspiring glimpse of the world of the Maryknoll family of priests, sisters, brothers and lay missioners who work around the world. Jim Daniels with his professional experience as a photographer and writer presents before the reader seven photo-essays that tell the tale of men and women who live the Gospel message in far away lands. He also gives a good introduction to the Maryknoll Missioners. The lives and works of these men and women are truly inspiring as it is presented in photographs and stories in this book. Fr Bob McCahill in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sr. Juana Encalada among the AIDS patients of Cambodia, Bro. John Beeching among the refugees of Thailand, Peter and Johanna, a missioner couple in Tanzania, Sr. Melinda Roper in Panama, Susan Nagele a lay missioner among the tribals of Sudan, and Fr Vince Cole among the Asmat people of West Papua; all of them are sure to set fire to the spirit of love and service within us. The book is a beautiful tribute to the magnificent work of the Maryknolls.

No matter your religious conviction, you will not fail to be moved by this book. Jim Daniels' words and images bring alive the difficult worlds in which a few Maryknoll brothers and sisters conduct their lives, and in so doing, change the lives of others. This is far more than a coffee table book. Although the photographs alone are stunning - vibrant, colorful, and beautifully composed - it is their companionship with the stories that allow the reader a humbling glimpse into lives motivated by true giving. Daniels spent four years living with, photographing, and writing about the Maryknoll in Thailand, Bangladesh, Sudan, Cambodia, West Papua, Tanzania, and Panama. These priests, Brothers, Sisters, and lay missioners work with people afflicted by HIV/AIDS, unspeakable poverty, and political strife. Daniels found them always to be sensitive to traditional culture and religion, and his admiration is apparent. The Maryknoll brand of Catholicism is quiet, embracing differences, and teaches by example. In reading each story, you will feel as if you have stepped for a little while into his subjects' worlds and watched as they went about their days. Daniels' gift as a photographer is his ability to capture joy, radiance, and human dignity in the most dire of circumstances. The beauty and peace of a young woman's face as she lies dying of AIDS on a cot in Phnom Penh; the strength and kindness in Father Bob Cahill's face and he carries a young man suffering from cancer to a hospital in Bangladesh; the joy in the faces of children who, like children everywhere, are amazingly resilient in heartbreaking circumstances. Like the faith that drives the lives of the Maryknoll, the reader will find this book to be a journey where we learn that hope resides in connection and sharing, regardless of religion, culture, or ethnicity.