Page 30 - Catholic Extension Magazine Spring 2020

30 INSPIRE

Feature Story

RIGHT Sisters Deyanira González Alvarado,
Sandra Estrada Estrada and María Minerva
Morales Manuel in Little Rock, with Catholic
Extension’s US.-Latin American Sisters
Exchange Program to offer pastoral care and
leadership to Hispanics.

LEFT With Catholic Extension support, Sisters
of the Missionary Carmelites of Saint Teresa
arrived in 2011 to provide outreach ministries to
parishioners of Holy Spirit Church in Hamburg.
RIGHT Mexican Sisters Ma. Magdalena
Esparza de Lira, Mayela Báez Briones
and María Teresa de Loera López, part of
Catholic Extension’s U.S.-Latin American Sisters
Exchange Program (USLASEP), who recently
returned home, spent five years ministering to
Hispanic communities in the diocese.

to join the seminary. They receive The diocese has been successful “We have a high retention rate of
applause and support. “It shows in supporting its seminarians. young seminarians,” Friend said.
them that their family and peers After participating in Catholic “The national rate of ordination
value their willingness to discern,” Extension’s Seminarian Endow- for men who enter seminary at the
he said. ment Challenge in 2013, it has college level is about 20 percent,
He encourages seminarians to since become self-sufficient and we’re seeing 60–70 percent,”
have strong ties to laypeople. “In in fundraising for seminarians’ he said. “We have something
a diocese like ours, with priests education. powerful here. The guys want to
so spread out, the laity plays a big An additional factor in attracting serve in a missionary diocese.”
role in keeping the Church going,” vocations is the diocesan House
he said. Annually, the seminarians of Formation. Constructed in SISTERS INSPIRE A DEEPER FAITH
plan and host a fundraiser called 2012 with a $150,000 matching For years, Catholic Extension
Taste of Faith. “It challenges grant from Catholic Extension, has supported women religious in
parishioners to live their faith and it provides a place of residence this diocese as they play critical
strengthen their beliefs. We are for discerners and seminarians. leadership roles, especially in the
building a culture of vocations,” Currently, 13 men are being many parishes with no resident
he said. educated there. priest.