Current Ministry Location: Maryknoll Sisters Center – Maryknoll, NY
Sister Maureen Hanahoe was born June 6th 1943 in Rosedale, NY. She entered the Congregation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY on September 2nd, 1962. She pronounced First Vows on June 24th, 1965 and her Final Vows on June 6th, 1976; both at the Sisters’ Center. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Community Service from Rogers College, Maryknoll, NY in 1970. After initial service as a nurse aide among the Sisters at the Center, Sister Maureen was assigned in 1970 to her first mission in Talca, Chile. In Chile, she was involved in such ministries as home-visiting, serving as a nurse aide, and visiting political prisoners following the military coup in 1973.
In 1974, she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY where she served as a nurse aide for Sisters in the infirmary. In 1976, she was assigned to the altiplano of Peru. Here her ministries focused on Christian community formation, prison ministry and health education in rural communities.
From 1981-1984, Sister Maureen attended the College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, NY, and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. That year, she returned to the Altiplano of Peru where she did Clinical Nursing and health education, as well as work in human rights.
In 1995, she returned to the U.S. for a Sabbatical Program and upon completion in 1997, she provided pastoral care to the sisters in Assisted Living at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY.
Returning to Peru in 1999, she became a member of Emmaus, a spiritual accompaniment team. The focus of the Emmaus program was to train laity in Spiritual Direction, focused on an awareness of God’s presence and direction in the ordinary happenings of everyday life. Together with this team, Sister Maureen ran formation programs and workshops in accompaniment skills for local pastoral agents who felt drawn to accompany others. She also offered Spiritual Direction.
From 2003-2008, she returned to New York, to care for her father, who was dying. While offering Family Ministry, Sister Maureen served as a prison chaplain for Hispanic immigrants. She was able to return to Peru in 2009, this time to Tacna, Peru, where she was in ministry to both men and women in the local prison.
In 2013, upon return to Maryknoll, New York, she was assigned to the Congregational Vocation Department until 2021. Today, she resides at the Maryknoll Sisters Center where she continues to offer Spiritual Direction, and collaborates with others in the support of immigrants.