OSCAR ROMERO SOLIDARITY LECTURE

"Solidarity and Resistance at the Border: The Prophetic Cost of Mercy"

Sr. Norma Pimentel, MJ

Thursday, March 27 | 7-8:30 pm | St. Thomas of Villanova Church

Sister Norma has become one of the most recognized leaders in our nation today. As Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, she oversees the charitable branch of the Diocese of Brownsville, the second largest Catholic Diocese in the United States. Sister Pimentel has over twenty years of experience in providing oversight to a diverse set of ministries and social services in the Rio Grande Valley such as homeless prevention, disaster relief, clinical counseling, pregnancy care, food assistance, and humanitarian relief to immigrants. 

In 2014, during the influx of immigrants entering the United States through the Southern Border, Sister Pimentel with the support of the local community established the Humanitarian Respite Center, providing a safe space for immigrants to rest before continuing their journey to other parts of the United States. Ten years later, the Humanitarian Respite Center has become the largest respite center in our country, welcoming over half a million immigrants in the course of ten years. More than just providing immediate humanitarian care, Sister Pimentel has become a voice for immigrant families reminding us that they are not numbers but rather human beings who should be respected and treated with dignity.