Sister Genie Natividad was born and raised in rural Philippines where she completed her elementary and high school education. With her mother as the sole provider following her father’s untimely passing, Genie’s college education was cut short and she sought employment overseas in order to supplement the family income. Upon her return, she joined the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation; and then, as a lay missioner with the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle in Turkana, Kenya. Her continuing search brought her to the Maryknoll Sisters. She spent the next two years at their orientation house in Chicago where she divided her time studying at the Catholic Theological Union and ministering to the mentally challenged, and to young women and men at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center. She then received her first Maryknoll mission assignment in 2009 and left for Tanzania in East Africa. There she studied the Kiswahili Language; team-taught religion at Kilakala Girls Secondary School; provided after school aid to children in Morogoro; worked with HIV/ AIDS adults groups in Mwanza; collaborated with a Maryknoll lay Missionary and an affiliate in establishing income generating projects for different women’s group; did trauma healing with orphans, abused kids and street children using Capacitar; and, taught foot Reflexology to women’s group. She returned to the Maryknoll Center New York in 2016 to serve as Coordinator of the Chi Rho (senior Sisters) Community for three years. She then enrolled in 2020 in a program on Holistic Health in Hawaii. Her most recent mission was in 2021, when she responded to the call for volunteers at the U.S. Mexico border providing aid to migrants. Genie was recently elected to serve in her congregation’s leadership team for the next six years.