A graduate of one of Catholic Extension Society’s most innovative programs received a prestigious honor this May: an honorary doctorate from Boston College. The university recognized her selfless and courageous efforts to illuminate God’s love in the dangerous cartel-controlled towns in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua.
Sister María Teresa “Tere” de Loera López, a member of the Catholic Teachers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is one of 150 sisters that are a part of our U.S.-Latin American Sisters Exchange Program.
This program invites Catholic sisters from religious congregations founded and based in Latin America to pursue a university degree as they create new ministries in Extension dioceses among the poor.
Sister Tere (third from left, below) was part of the first group of 36 sisters, who came to the United States in 2014 and returned to their home countries in 2019.
When she returned to Mexico, she took on the leadership of a massive religious education program in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Now she leads a staff of 12 as she oversees a religious education program that reaches 60 parishes.
“Each day I would drive for many hours through gang territories to coordinate children’s catechism in various parishes, passing drug houses and gunfire,” she said.
This challenged me in a thousand ways to overcome my fears and focus on an important ministry—connecting with children and families and bringing the light of Christ into their lives, regardless of the difficult living situation many of them faced each day.”
She cares for the most vulnerable people in this dangerous region, such as this elderly woman.
On receiving the doctorate, she said, “I feel blessed, grateful, surprised and happy. I’ve always carried out my apostolate giving my 100 percent for the love of the heart of Jesus without expecting any reward other than to please Him by doing His will from the charism of my congregation. This distinction that Boston College gives me is a great gift. I never imagined it.”
Unconditional service
She graduated in 2019 with a master’s degree in applied leadership studies from Boston College through Catholic Extension Society’s program. “It was through the academic courses at Boston College that I was able to acquire the skills and tools to enhance my ministry,” she said.
While working toward her master’s degree, Catholic Extension Society also funded her ministry in rural parishes of Arkansas, where she created religious education programs, served women who were survivors of domestic violence, and bridged Hispanic and Anglo families into a united community of faith.
“Catholic Extension Society has been making a path of support and accompaniment to the sisters,” she said. “They are always in communication, like angels, always willing to collaborate. All of this has been decisive in making known our belonging to Christ, our unconditional service in favor of society.”
She continued,
Catholic Extension Society is an inspiration, because it is always looking for ways to benefit the most vulnerable people in our society. Catholic Extension Society has been key in my path to receiving the doctorate.”
This story will appear in the Summer 2024 edition of Extension magazine. The U.S.-Latin American Sisters Exchange Program is made possible thanks to the generosity of our donors. Please consider supporting our mission!
