Partnering with the Poor

“Marianist social justice ministries are our prayer in action. We believe we are called to be peacemakers, to be stewards of creation, and to be in solidarity with the poor and marginalized. Our work in social justice is an expression of our mission to bring Christ to the world as Mary did.”

We here at Marianist Retreat and Conference Center are deeply committed to supporting the Marianist Province’s Partnering with the Poor Program through raising funds for Our Lady of Nazareth School in Nairobi, Kenya, and you can help us in this essential outreach!

The school is located in the middle of Mukuru, Nairobi’s largest and worst slum. In Swahili, mukuru means “garbage dump.” The roads there are unpaved and pungent smells of excrement and wood fires fill the air. Ramshackle houses of tin, plastic and wood have dirt floors, no running water, no sanitation, and no electricity. Hunger, disease, and abuse are common. For the children enrolled at Our Lady of Nazareth School, education offers an opportunity to escape this desperate situation. We can help them break the cycle of poverty in which they were born.

Since October of 2020, we have – through the generosity of awesome folks like you – sponsored 84 students who currently attend Our Lady of Nazareth School, and we want to support as many as we possibly can!

If you can donate, we would really appreciate it! Half of all donations we receive will be earmarked to support our retreat center’s outreach efforts, and half will be sent to sponsor children at Our Lady of Nazareth. Just $135 a year pays for a year’s tuition for a student and one hot meal per day. We have heard that some students don’t even eat their hot meal; they bring it home and share it with the rest of their family members…how amazing is that!

No donation is too small, and no donation is too large. If you can give, please place your donation in the wooden donation box just outside of our chapel. We accept both cash and checks. And if you would like to give later, please mail a check to:

Marianist Retreat Center, c/o Partnering with the Poor, 4000 HWY 109, Eureka, MO 63025

God Bless!

Nathan Martin and Jen Duncan and Paul Masek

Marianist Retreat and Conference Center Staff Members

“You pray for the hungry. Then you feed them. This is how prayer works.” – Pope Francis