Page 20 - Spring 2019 Extension Magazine
P. 20
20 INSPIRE
Cover Story
DR. VERÓNICA RAYAS
FOSTERING FAITH
THROUGH ARTS
AND CULTURE
In El Paso, generational Religious Formation for the diocese, tion, writing her dissertation on the
storytelling helps youth she oversees programs that nurture ways that Hispanics teach their faith
young people’s faith, deepening
within the family: sharing meals, tra-
find their place their prayer life through devotions ditions, language, and more gener-
in the world and other practices embedded in ally a way of being in the world. She
V in the Diocese of STUDYING RELIGIOUS EDUCATION sor of theology or pastoral ministry,
could easily have gone in the direc-
the rich traditions of Mexican-Amer-
tion of teaching, becoming a profes-
ican families.
erónica Rayas is
an inspiring leader
but she felt a call to return home and
Catholic Extension first sup-
serve families seeking to educate
El Paso, transform-
ported Rayas for her graduate edu-
their children about the faith.
ing her hometown
Growing up in El Paso, she had
cation at Fordham University as
one child at a time. As
part of an effort to promote leader-
director of the Office of
story and formed their young people
ship among Hispanic communities
in ways of relating to one another,
in the United States. She eventually seen firsthand how families carried a
earned a Ph.D. in religious educa- to the Virgin of Guadalupe, and ulti-
