Page 20 - Catholic Extension Magazine Summer2020

20 INSPIRE

Cover Story

FOLLOWING THE WOMEN

WHO ENCOUNTER THE RISEN CHRIST

ather Jack Wall shared in a recent and for the hope of all humanity.”
Easter tribute to women Catholic Extension created a vid-
“In the Gospel narra- Lay and eo series spotlighting contempo-
tives of Jesus’s death rary models of lay and women
F and resurrection, we women religious religious who are selfless in
are offered the paradigm ex- demonstrate their support of marginalized
perience of women who ac- leadership and communities.
company the suffering Jesus The women who accompa-
to the cross. These women are foster hope during nied Christ continue to inspire
the first to encounter Him as pandemic us. Here are three examples of
the Risen Christ and give witness women today giving witness to
to the transformative power of what Christ’s message that we are not alone,
God is doing through His son for each of us especially in times of suffering.

SISTER FATIMA SISTER MARIE-PAULE SISTER MARIANA

SANTIAGO, ICMM WILLEM, FMM KOONCE, RSM
Sister Fatima serves the Having survived Nazi Sister Mariana, a for-
poorest neighborhoods occupation and South mer U.S. Navy officer, is a
of South Texas and has American death squads, Sis- medical doctor who leads
helped build ter Marie-Paule a mobile clin-
two church- Willem con- ic for the
es. Catholic tinues to uninsured
Extension deliver a in rural
supports message East Ten-
her med- of hope. At nessee.
ical, edu- age 87, she She is the
cation and leads a poor face of the
healthcare minis- parish in Las Cru- Church in a region
tries for immigrants. “We ces, New Mexico and lov- with few Catholics. Catho-
are in this together. There ingly ministers to women in lic Extension has support-
is the light of faith within detention. “At this moment, ed her clinic. “We have
each of us which keeps us people feel lonely and fear- the power to cast out that
going. It is this light that is ful. But we are in this pan- fear through worship and
Christ’s resurrection gift demic together. We must prayer and to unite our
to us,” she said. overflow with compas- suffering with Christ and
sion, not self-pity. In serv- to the suffering of others,”
ing each other, we become she said.
more human,” she said.

Please view the video series at
www.catholicextension.org/stories/FollowTheWomen.