Puerto Rico has seen more than its share of tough times. Hurricanes, earthquakes, and economic challenges have hit the island hard over the last few years. But we are honored to know many inspiring people who have weathered these many storms with positivity and courage.
One of these individuals is Sandra Rodríguez. Sandra is the chief financial officer for the Diocese of San Juan, but she is not just knowledgeable when it comes to finances. One of her many skills and qualities is that she knows the true value of human resilience.
Days after the hurricane, in the midst of power outages, she managed to send an email to Catholic Extension Society. The subject line? “We shall rise.”
Helping to Rebuild
After hurricanes Irma and Maria hit Puerto Rico, the work of rebuilding has been enormous. In addition to the physical damages, there were also significant financial hurdles to address.
With her guidance, Rodriguez used her 20 years of experience with the Archdiocese of San Juan to help continue its five centuries of ministry.
Following the hurricane, she took on an enormous workload. 12-hour days and 7-day work weeks became the norm to help hundreds of churches, chapels, schools, and other ministries so vital her Puerto Rican community.
Inspired by Faith
Sandra believes the Church’s mission is fundamentally about charity — about finding the resources to serve people in need. And her work is a big part of making sure funding and support gets to the people in Puerto Rico.
On the island, the Catholic Church provides essential outreach, particularly the poorest who live in the interior of the island whose wooden homes were wiped out by the storm.
Even in the darkest days, Sandra knew she was supported in her difficult work. Days after Hurricane Maria hit, Catholic Extension Society quickly wired much-needed funds to the diocese. With the help of generous donors, she was right.
Through faith, generosity, and dedicated people like Sandra, Puerto Rico does indeed rise.
