Sister Jean Yamashiro
Current Ministry Location-Monrovia, CA
Jean Yamashiro entered the Maryknoll Sisters Congregation September 2, 1959 at the Center in NY from Honolulu, HI. She professed First Vows June 24, 1962 at the Center and Final Vows June 24, 1969 in Guatemala. In 1973 she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Community Service from Rogers College, Maryknoll, NY.
Sister Jean’s first mission assignment was as a lab technician at Kansas City’s Queen of the World Hospital in 1963 before being assigned to serve in Huehuetenango, Guatemala in 1965. She moved to Jacaltenango in 1966 to be a hospital lab technician while serving on a pastoral team.
Having served in mission on three continents, North America, Central America and Africa, Sister Jean Yamashiro has continually explored the world through her ministries. With a background in laboratory technology, she has shared this knowledge among others ever since she joined the Maryknoll Sisters on September 5, 1959, from Honolulu, Hawaii.
In 1977, she was assigned back to the United States and a post as recreation director at the Maryknoll Sisters nursing home in New York.
In 1980, Sister Jean was assigned to the Sudan. At first, she served as secretary for the bishop before doing lab work in the Maryknoll Sisters Kator dispensary. She also got involved in the children’s malnutrition and feeding program at a tuberculosis ward in a hospital in Juba.
Serving as the medical coordinator of six clinics in the Archdiocese of Juba, Sister Jean trained helpers and was in charge of getting supplies for the mission. In addition she cared for Ugandan refugees in camps outside of Juba and visited women prisoners, teaching them how to write, sew and knit.
In 1993, Sister Jean was assigned again to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, to focus on pastoral work and a medical ministry with HIV/AIDS patients. She prepared and trained HIV/AIDS health promoters which eventually led to her work with parish priests and religious groups. She offered testing services and information at a clinic covering five dioceses: Quiche, Quetzaltenango, Huehuetenango, San Marcos and Solola.
“You have to work and be where the people are at,” said Sister Jean.
In 2013, Sister Jean retired to the Maryknoll Sisters Convent in Monrovia, CA, where she is an active member of the Community.