Catholic Extension Society expresses its heartfelt prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Lourdes Garza, who provided vital pastoral support to the growing Hispanic Catholic community throughout the Diocese of Knoxville. Garza recently passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer, but the national impact of her work in the Catholic Church will continue to bear fruit.
As the director of Hispanic ministries for the Diocese of Knoxville, Garza received financial support for her salary and ministries from Catholic Extension Society and was a finalist for the Lumen Christi Award in 2012 and 2013. Below is a brief overview of her tireless work, taken from those nominations.
Since 2005, Lourdes gave her heart and soul to help build a thriving and loving Catholic core in the center of the third-fastest growing Hispanic population in America. From coordinating field Masses for farm workers to writing and distributing a monthly newsletter—La Cosecha (The Harvest)—throughout the diocese, she became a force of faith, organizing and mobilizing people into action. When invasive surgery and aggressive chemotherapy threatened to slow (or even stop) her service to the faith, Lourdes kept going. She simply found new ways to inspire the more than 63,000 Hispanic members of her Catholic community and tapped into the leaders she spent years cultivating.
“Everything Lourdes does is a reflection of the truth that every person needs God, and without Him we remain without hope,” said USMC Lt. Col. (Ret.) Paul D. Simoneau, when she was a finalist for the Lumen Christi Award. “So in everything Lourdes does, she gives more than material things or comfort or help, she gives God.”
Lourdes Garza, right, invited Catholic Extension Society president Father Jack Wall, middle, to pray the Rosary with field workers picking strawberries at a farm near Jonesborough, Tennessee.
Formally, Lourdes Garza was known as the Director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Knoxville. But that was merely a title. Garza’s role extended much further into the 36 counties of this large diocese. She was a teacher, a minister and an advocate. She took on these roles with ease, providing ongoing pastoral support for the ever-expanding Hispanic community in east Tennessee.
As one person doing the work of many, Garza was the face of hope for Hispanics of all ages in her diocese. She encouraged faith formation through catechesis and training in apologetics. She worked with local social service agencies to provide support for women and families facing abuse and other challenges. She fostered cultural sensitivity in local law enforcement to dispel prejudices. She even liaisoned with government officials, advocating for the rights of people in her community.
Understanding the unique challenges facing Hispanic youth, Garza also took a special interest in ministering to young people. She developed a Pastoral Juvenil Hispana group and promoted involvement in national youth events, retreats, volunteer projects, and social and cultural events.
Garza also organized a partnership between Catholic Extension Society and the University of Dallas School of Ministry allowing more than 80 Hispanic lay leaders to attend ministry classes that led to increased attendance at faith-sharing groups and enhanced evangelization efforts throughout the diocese.
“Of the many initiatives we have benefited from, I believe this one to be the best and most far-reaching for the Catholic faithful, and particularly for that of our Hispanic community,” Bishop Richard F. Stika of the Diocese of Knoxville said. Read more about the program in this article from Extension magazine.
In her years of service, Lourdes Garza made countless contributions to the Hispanic-Catholic community in east Tennessee. Her many ministries are thriving throughout the Diocese of Knoxville, extending the presence of Christ.
Please join us in prayer for the repose of the soul of Lourdes Garza and for comfort to the countless members of her community who are mourning her loss but grateful for her loving service.
