The U.S.-Latin American Sisters Exchange Program funds religious sisters from Latin American congregations who will come to minister among Latino immigrant populations in a “mission diocese” in the United States and be provided opportunities to develop as leaders and increase their impact and visibility as ministers to marginalized populations. The program is made possible through Catholic Extension Society’s partnership with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, which has the goal of enhancing congregational vitality for religious sisters in the Global South and therefore, while the sisters are ministering in the U.S., they will receive education and various trainings through several university partners, with a robust bachelors and masters degree program offered through St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. This program will be mutually beneficial to the participating congregations and the faith communities in this country where they come to serve.
This program includes ten participating Catholic Extension Society dioceses that will each host a group of three or four sisters from a particular Latin American congregation that the local bishop has vetted and approved. The sisters will live together as a community and focus their ministry on providing human development services to those that are most in need.
Timeline
This program will take place over a five-year period, and will begin in the fall of 2023 and end in 2028.
Funding Overview
Participating dioceses will receive funding to cover the following:
- Up to $100,000 each year for five years to cover the salary and benefits (health insurance, retirement etc) for three or four sisters.
- Legal and immigration fees for processing their religious worker visas.
- Cost of education and language training for the sisters at Catholic Extension Society partnership colleges and universities.
- Travel costs for the bishop’s interview with the congregation’s superior general or provincial.
Participating dioceses would receive approximately $125,000 per year to cover these costs. Over five years this would total more than $600,000.
Program Focus
Participating dioceses should understand that:
- The goal of the sister’s ministry is to increase the capacity of sisters to meaningfully address poverty and elevate the recognition of sisters as moral leaders and voices of change in the global effort to relieve human suffering.
- They will support sisters, their congregations, and their ministries to develop human potential at scale for children, youth, and families living in conditions of disadvantage (i.e., providing support for educational achievement, job training, entrepreneurship, family support etc.)
- Sisters will actively participate in local advocacy efforts on behalf of the immigrants/migrants they serve and use their collective voice to advocate and raise awareness for important issues of justice
- Participating sisters will be expected to work for the diocese for 30/35 hours a week and dedicate up to 10 hours a week on their academics. Each sister will earn a master’s or bachelor’s degree with the help of Catholic Extension Society’s university partners.
- The sisters will return home at the end of the 5 year program. During the sister’s stay, they will identify and form leaders that will carry on their legacy by continuing to grow the ministry that they began.
Documents and Application
Please carefully read the program details in the Guidelines and Expectations document (listed below).
After reviewing the guidelines and expectation document, if you feel like your diocese is prepared to embrace the basic program elements described, please send an email to Erika Cedrone, indicating your initial interest and to set up a time to discuss program details. You may complete the application at any time during the process.
You will need to download the following documents to complete and upload into the online application:
- Bishop Commitment Document
- Participant Commitment Document
- USLA-SEP Program Budget Worksheet
- Job Description for the Sister (provided by the diocese)
Click here to begin the online application.
Program History
The first cohort of 36 sisters graduated from the program in spring 2019. In the summer and fall of that year, the second cohort of sisters arrived. They are currently ministering across the United States and taking classes and various trainings through several university partners, including a robust bachelors and masters degree program offered through St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.
To read about how the our sisters in the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin are ministering during the pandemic, click here.
Watch the video below to see how sisters from the program took to the streets in the Diocese of San Bernardino to inspire faith in their community.