Sister Mary Jane Atieno of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Anna in Kenya arrived in the United States this spring to begin working at Glenmary missions in Southwest Georgia. After a brief orientation at the Glenmary headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sister Mary Jane traveled to Georgia to begin serving in the mission alongside Sister Imelda Ngwitu, FSSA.

“My first weeks with the Glenmary Missioners have been deeply moving, despite challenges adjusting to the new environment and some sickness,” says Sister Mary Jane. “I’ve found great joy encountering people at church and visiting the needy in their homes… I’m eager to learn and work with the people here.”

Sister Mary Jane was surprised to find that church attendance can be very low in the United States, which is a sharp contrast to Kenya. “Yet this makes me grateful for Glenmary’s vision. They thoughtfully plant faith in these forgotten areas where people thirst for God,” says Sister Mary Jane Atieno.

This story was published in the Summer 2026 issue of the Glenmary Challenge.