Page 27 - Spring 2019 Extension Magazine

Extension | Spring 2019 27

Digna Ramírez-López
and her husband José of
Stockton received Catholic
Extension’s 2013 Lumen
Christi Award.

understands that for the Church
to be transformative in this world,
members must step up and bring
their gifts and talents. They must be
part of the Church’s mission and be
a robust, energetic community.
DIGNA RAMÍREZ-LÓPEZ For 40 years, Ramírez-López has
CARVING A PATH FOR enriched the youth of Stockton.
She has identified, developed and
YOUNG PEOPLE trained thousands of young adults
who have become leaders in many
Hispanic ministries and other min-
istries in the church. “Our goal is to
Lay woman in Stockton ters and a son. For decades, they multiply. We are dedicated to moti-
motivates young have worked for the diocese; cur- vating new leaders to bring a mes-
sage of change,” she said.
rently she is director of Hispanic
leaders to discover and ministry and coordinates the Cath- For a decade she coordinated
share their talents olic Campaign for Human Devel- a Hispanic Congress for more than
opment efforts in the diocese and 1,000 young people; now she orga-
igna Ramírez-López is CRS (Catholic Relief Services), and nizes the annual diocesan celebra-
changing the lives of he leads the migrant ministry and tion of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The
thousands of young Hispanic youth and young adult event draws more than 10,000 peo-
people in the Diocese ministry. ple, including many young people
Dof Stockton, Califor- The youth of Stockton, many and families.
nia. She models for them in many coming from agricultural families, In 2008 she was honored with
venues: leadership, Christian val- face a myriad of challenges. In 2009 the conferral of the Cross Pro Eccle-
ues and how to nurture a strong the FBI ranked the city as America’s sia et Pontifice by Pope Benedict
marriage. 10th most dangerous. Gangs, drugs XVI, which is the highest medal that
She volunteered for years in and violence are rampant. can be awarded to the laity by the
ministry to peers before being hired To navigate these pitfalls, she Papacy.
as diocesan director for Hispanic knows that young people need She understands that the Church
Youth and Young Adult Ministry in many solid, positive pieces in is core to Latino culture, and in her
the Diocese of Stockton. She served their lives—education, jobs, faith quiet, humble, dignified way, she
in that position for 10 years. groups—and most importantly, seeks out young Hispanic Catholics
She met her husband, José, mentors. in Stockton to remind them of their
when they were volunteers at a She is there for them. And she Catholic identity. She demonstrates
youth group at St. Mary’s Church in asks a lot of them. She asks them to them how much faith can improve
Stockton. They raised two daugh- not just to belong to the Church their lives.
but to take responsibility for their
baptismal call and be active. She