The Valley Catholic
community
Dominican Sisters, Hilton Foundation launch
leadership Development initiative in Mexico
This month the Hilton Foundation
is implementing a women’s leadership
development program in Tijuana,
Mexico. Tailored for Catholic Sisters
in active ministries, the three-year
educational program is being offered
initially to a 20-Sister cohort.
Participants will receive business,
finance, marketing and technology
training to strengthen their organizations and sustain their ministries.
Partners in the collaborative effort,
funded by the Hilton Foundation,
include: Archdiocese of Tijuana, the
Jesuit Universidad Ibero Americana,
and the Dominican Sisters of Mission
San Jose.
Sr. María Reina Perea, OP, U.S.
Dominican project director, said,
“Catholic Sisters work to fill a tremendous gap in health, human and social
services – yet many are unable to move
on to higher education due to limited
finances in their congregations.” The
Hilton Foundation’s SLDI Tijuana curriculum takes on this challenge.
As Tijuana’s population increases
and the archdiocese struggles to minister to 2.2 million Catholics, empowering women Religious as change agents
is an effective response, Sr. Maria Reina
explained.
Hilton’s SLDI program in Africa
trained over 340 Sisters from five coun-
tries as leaders, mentors and CEOs.
Program participants in Mexico seek to
shape their program to address specific
regional challenges.
Founded in 1876, the Dominican
Sisters of Mission San Jose are an international congregation of Catholic
women Religious, dedicated to serving,
the young, the poor and the vulnerable
in the U.S. and Mexico. For more information contact: Margaret McCarthy,
Development Director 510-933-6309;
[email protected]; or
visit: www.msjdominicans.org.
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
was created in 1944 by the Hilton hotels
pioneer who left his fortune to help the
world’s vulnerable people.
The Foundation conducts strategic
initiatives: providing safe water, ending chronic homelessness, preventing
substance abuse, helping children affected by HIV and AIDS, supporting
transition-age youth in foster care, and
extending Conrad Hilton’s support for
the work of Catholic Sisters.
From its inception, the Foundation
has awarded more than $1 billion
in grants, distributing $92 million
in the U.S. and around the world in
2013. The Foundation’s current assets
are approximately $2.4 billion. Visit
www.hiltonfoundation.org for more
information.
September 9, 2014
19
Learning & Loving Center celebrates 21 years
The Learning and Loving Education
Center in Morgan Hill is turning 21.
Over 20 years ago, Sisters of the Presentation envisioned and opened the
Center, a ministry of literacy education
for low income and immigrant women
in southern Santa Clara County.
Yearly, 170-200 women enroll in ESL
and computer classes, while their young
children attend free preschool. The Center is planning a celebration at Mama
Mia’s in Morgan Hill, Sun., Sept. 21,
3-7 pm; dinner, auction, performances,
and wine-tasting. More information at
www.learningandloving.org.
Young squires move up in Knights of Columbus
“We recently had a changing of the guard in our Squires Circle #4938,” explained
David Cadena, Chief Counselor of Fr. Mateo Circle, Knights of Columbus.
When Squires turn 18, they must leave the Squires, but they have an opportunity
to become a Knight. This year Marlowe Macaranas joined Knights of Columbus
#97