The U.S.-Latin American Sisters Exchange Program

It has been over 10 years since Catholic Extension Society developed the U.S.-Latin American Sisters Exchange Program. During the past decade, a remarkable change has taken place within the hearts and minds of the 150 sisters that have been a part of the program—and the hundreds of thousands of people living on the margins of society that the sisters have reached through their ministries.

The program provides an opportunity for 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—particularly Hispanic immigrants and their families. To date, 150 sisters from 44 congregations and 11 countries have participated.

The program has three main objectives:

First, it offers higher education degrees to Latin American sisters serving in the U.S., who would otherwise have no such opportunities. Upon completion of the program, these sisters are able to serve as leaders in their religious communities.

Second, they apply what they learn in their ongoing studies to their ministries, establishing new services and performing outreach initiatives to develop the human potential of tens of thousands of disadvantaged people. Meanwhile, their spiritual witness is a sign of hope to all they encounter.

Their services are offered in dioceses supported by Catholic Extension Society, where, according to U.S. Census data, more than 80 percent of the most impoverished counties in the country exist.

Finally, the program seeks to create a robust, collaborative and mutually supportive network of sisters from multiple congregations. A study by the GHR Foundation found that two out of three international sisters ministering in the United States expressed the need for mutual support and mentorship.

The program addresses this need by providing the space and opportunity for the sisters to build lifelong relationships with each other. They share their journeys as religious women together and collectively grow in knowledge and friendship. Their joy is so palpable and expressive that, when they convene to attend a class, retreat or training hosted by Catholic Extension Society, they often pray, sing and even dance together. These formative experiences provide the basis for intercongregational collaborations after the program concludes.

The sisters report back to Catholic Extension Society that the U.S.-Latin American Sisters Exchange Program gave them the tools they needed to confidently take on these roles and create meaningful change.

The program helped me to grow a lot, to discover myself, my vulnerability. … I turned it into leadership, and I turned it into strength.”

Sister María Elena Méndez Ochoa