By Sister Isa Berrones
July 30, 2022, marks a new episode of our mission in Mexico; the inauguration/blessing of Casa Maria, in Saltillo, Coahuila, which will be a place of hospitality and accompaniment for young women while they pursue higher education (university). Casa Maria is pictured right.
At 12 noon a Mass was celebrated, presided over by the bishop of the diocese of Saltillo, Monsignor Hilario González García. He has been bishop of this diocese since January 2021, and previously was the bishop of Linares Diocese, to which our mission in San Rafael belongs.
Our presence in the diocese of Saltillo dates back to 2017, when Monsignor Raúl Vera, now Bishop Emeritus, invited Sisters Carol Schmit, Aurora Tovar and Isabel Berrones to serve in the Santa Catalina de Siena Parish in Ocampo, Coahuila. The contract was for three years. Once our ministry in Ocampo concluded in March 2020, my desire was to remain in the diocese; that our congregation continue to have a presence through me serving in some diocesan ministry. In May 2020, when the Pandemic began its great ravages in our lives, I moved to Saltillo. I rented a small house, always thinking it would be a temporary place as I explored ministry possibilities. However, the first year here was practically a lockdown because of Covid. I got involved in some activities with the Diocesan Social Pastoral Team, while the Casa Maria project was conceived little by little. The idea of a house of hospitality for higher education students arose from the “failure” that I feel in a certain way when one of the students of the Casa Franciscana, who, having started higher education, abandons it. I spoke with some of them about the reasons that made them drop out of university. They all agreed that they could not pay the cost of studies in addition to rent, transportation and food. Some might have a family member who offered them their home, but they don’t have enough space. In addition, the young woman must contribute to the expenses, which is not easy for a rural family that usually has an income of $60 to $80 a week.
The main challenge for me was finding a house that had enough space for the ministry of hospitality. I investigated several houses; the rents were expensive. The only way was to get a rent-free house. But where? Who would have a big house and would like to lend it? But the Providence of God is infinite. I thought that the diocese might have a house available, and I asked Monsignor Hilario. It was August 2021. Monsignor Hilario told me that there would be some possibility, but he asked me to be patient, since he had just arrived at the diocese and was beginning to get to know it. Several months passed, my patience ran out and I asked again; the answer was very happy. There was a house available; it was February 14 of this year. We started working on the contract, which we signed on April 8. The house had been unoccupied since November 2021, so it needed a good cleaning before I moved in. The move was made at the end of April. From then until a few days before July 30, the cleaning and repair work that it needed was completed.
Although several things are still missing, Casa Maria is ready to start the hospitality service to women from rural areas who come to the city of Saltillo for higher studies. It has space for 10 or 12 students, but we decided to start with five for this first year.
I also needed a work team. God has provided it! Linda Griselda Hernández is a full time volunteer; she came to live at Casa María on July 24. Bianka Ovando, who works at the Universidad Iberoamericana, is an external volunteer who will be present at the team meetings and with the students. There are other volunteers who will support occasionally. This is a project under our Civil Association, Hermanas Franciscanas en Mexico, for everything related to financing, with the approval of our congregation as our ministry in Saltillo.
Sometimes one feels that the words “thank you” are not enough to express gratitude. This is how I feel now about this new ministry space, where there are so many hands and hearts involved to make this project a reality. Infinite thanks, especially to all of you, my sisters in the Congregation, for your support, approval, trust and prayers. Thanks to Bishop Hilario Gonzalez for his great collaboration with the house, for his solidarity and trust. Thank you to all the donors in the many ways you have contributed.
I wish and pray that this house is a space where the lives of many women are expanded by professional education and the experience of living in community, sharing the Franciscan charism with the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, to the glory and praise of God.
Left: Jessica Guajardo, the first student who is already at Casa Maria. She is from a village called Puente Negro, approximately 215 miles from Saltillo. Right: The work team at Casa Maria. L-R: Sister Isabel Berrones, Bianka Ovando and Linda Griselda Hernandez
