Mary’s Pence will be 25 years old in April 2012. We plan on celebrating. If you would like to be involved in the planning committee please let us know. If you simply want to pass ideas on we are happy to receive them.
Save the Date – April 28th in Chicago!
Many wonderful women and men have contributed to the work of Mary’s Pence and the work of our grantees. To celebrate this work we are gathering in Chicago, the city of our birth 25 years ago. One of Mary’s Pence founders, Edwina Gateley will speak, and we’ll host a reception for sharing and celebration. Mark your calendars and look for more details soon.
The National Catholic Reporter highligted Mary's Pence in its Sepember 2, 2011 issue. Read about
the founding of Mary's Pence in 1987, and about several recent grantees,
including Community of the Beloved in Asheville NC, WHEEL in
Seattle Washington and
Awamaki in Patacancha Peru.Look in your upcoming issue. Read the full article here.
Gilda Larios lives in Mexico City, and has a long history of working with refugees on projects supporting rural women as they strive for economic self sufficiency. Gilda was highlighted in the February 2011 issue.
Mary’s Pence supporters engage with the world. These books suggested by Mary’s Pence board and staff offer spiritual reflections, alternative views and visions of our world, insight into the lives of women and the poor, and some great stories. Enjoy! Download our 2011 Reading List (pdf) or Download our 2010 Reading List (pdf)
On June 17, 2011 Gilda Larios, Mary's Pence ESPERA Fund Facilitator from Mexico City and Katherine Wojtan, Mary's Pence Executive Director spoke at Mary House, the Catholic Worker House in NYC. An inquiring group learned about our work in Latin America, Mexico and Haiti. The audience deeply valued making financial resources available to women, and a lively discussion ensued related to interest vs fees for financial services.
Mary's Pence hosted a spring retreat in New York City on May 24th, 2011. Judy Schaivo, a spriritual director, lead the retreat, using readings by Dorothy Day, Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz, and Maya Angelou. After the reflection we will shared a simple meal and heard from those involved in a ministry supporting women, including some Mary's Pence grantees.
We shared the message of Mary's Pence at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. Board members Rosa Castillo and Sr. Judy Molosky organized the effort, supported by volunteers. A donation from Marisa Antonini made our participation possible. Approximatly 40,000 people attend this event.
In December we hosted a lively discussion via teleconference with several donors and grantees. The conversation highlighted the work of the following grantees:
• Common Law, Inc. provides legal services grassroots organizations, mobilizde around the social justice goals of low-income communities of color in New York City.
• Hagar’s House, New Orleans, LA Hagar’s House is a sanctuary for women and children in New Orleans
• Reflect and Strengthen, Sisters Rising, Dorchester, MA, a grassroots collective of young working class women from the urban neighborhoods near Boston.
Read About the Discussion...(pdf)
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious is made up of the leadership teams of 95% of the women’s congregations in the U.S. Mary’s Pence was founded by Sisters, and we’re a part of their rich legacy. We had an exhibit at the conference in Dallas TX in August 2010 and were delighted to meet many of the Sisters. We also hosted a wine and cheese reception, and received overwhelming interest and support. Sr. Doris Klein of the Congregation of St. Agnes spoke about Mary’s Pence, about the important direction it is taking with its ESPERA Funds. Consilia Karli, Mary’s Pence Board President and Katherine Wojtan, Mary’s Pence Executive Director hosted the event .
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