Welcome Sisters Siervas del Divino Rostro
Servants of the Divine Face
The Diocese of Kalamazoo welcomes Sister Delia Aurora Ibarra, Sister Paubla Jaritza Garcia and Sister Daysis Evangelista Uriarte of the Congregation of the Siervas del Divino Rostro (Servants of the Divine Face). They are a young community, founded in Nicaragua by Mother Teresita Ortez to serve the poor and abandoned children in the Church.
Thanks to Catholic Extension’s “Latin-American Sisters Exchange Program,” the sisters will be serving in the diocese for five years. We thank those who give financial support to these initiatives for the good of the whole Church, and to the communities of Holy Angels in Sturgis and St. Mary in Bronson for the welcome and financial support for this project.
Sister Delia and Sister Jaritza arrived in the Diocese of Kalamazoo in mid-September and Sister Daysis arrived in December 2019. They will be part of the pastoral teams, which support the work of the priests in the Parishes of Holy Angels, Sturgis and St. Mary, Bronson. Their focus will be mainly the Hispanic community, in the broader context of the needs and aspirations of the community in general. Their ministry will be oriented to families, women, children and youth.
The project includes formation and study at the university level, with emphasis on the Hispanic/Latino community in the United States, church life in the USA, learning English and taking courses to obtain a bachelor’s degree in social sciences or a master’s degree in global organizational development.
Since their arrival, the Sisters have begun their ministry, attending the first initial phase of Formation with classes at the Mexican American Catholic College (MACC) in San Antonio, Texas. There they have received intensive English classes and a pastoral approach to the reality of the Hispanic Catholic communities in the United States. Now, they continue their studies, while they get to know the communities of the area and of the Diocese visiting the families of Holy Angels and St. Mary.
The Sisters offered the following as they began their ministry in the Diocese:
“We are the Sisters Servants of the Divine Face; we come from Nicaragua to offer our humble service among our brothers and sisters, from the Parishes of Holy Angels in Sturgis and St. Mary in Bronson.
“We are missionaries, we feel blessed to be able to share with each of you the treasure of Christ's love and the grace of our faith.
“Since we arrived, we have felt very deeply the love of God, all our brothers and sisters always give us a warm welcome, it has been a wonderful experience, getting to know and sharing with each one of them.
“We hope and trust in our Lord and our Blessed Mother that together we will create a path and extend the Kingdom of God among our brothers, with dedication and joy.”
We welcome the Sisters Siervas del Divino Rostro and invite you to give them a warm welcome when you meet them at various diocesan and parish events.