Making Connections-San Antonio honored with Benitia Humanitarian Award

Archbishop Gomez, giving the invocation, praised MC-SA for their service to the families in our community who are seeking to make a better life, calling the organization’s work “a blessing to the people of San Antonio” and referring to the MCDPs as “a source of grace to all of us” for their assistance to families through church-sponsored health care clinics, education and spiritual formation, most notably through the Benitia Family Center.

Mistress of ceremonies Imelda Treviño acknowledged Archbishop Gomez, retired Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Flanagan and Sister Carmen Sanchez, MCDP, as honorary chairpersons, as well as the presence of Bishop Patrick J. Zurek.

Past winners of the Benitia Humanitarian Award who were present, were also recognized and included Maria Antonietta Berriozabal, Dr. Gloria Rodriguez, Sister Elizabeth Anne Sueltenfuss, CDP, Mary Esther Bernal, Martha Tijerina and the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Other noteworthy personages and sponsors were also recognized.

“The MCDPs,” said Treviño, “are a very unique religious congregation. They are a religious congregation of bilingual and bicultural women. ... They actually serve as a conduit in the church,” she said, “because they are able to bridge that cultural gap. They are able to help our church leaders with their resources and their knowledge, put their arms around the issues of Hispanics in the Catholic Church.”

Noting that many of the MCDPs serve in areas they came from themselves, she pointed out that part of their mission is not only to care for those in need, but to keep themselves up-to-date educationally and technologically in order to enable those they help to attain these goals as well and to make a better life for themselves and their families. She added, “What a terrific role model they represent to us.”

“Don’t forget about them,” she urged those present. “This is a very special group that we have. Let’s keep them special. We do not want to keep them as a ‘best-kept secret,’ because that is no good to them. We need to promote them. We need to support them. We need to help them.”

Presenting the Benitia Humanitarian Award was Sister Mary Louise Barba, MCDP, superior general. Sister Mary Lou noted that the MCDPs have worked for some time with Making Connections-San Antonio. “Many of you could give testimony tonight personally,” she said, “how you have been touched, related to how you have known them.”

“Sister Benitia would say,” she added, “‘Continue to pray for them to meet many more people and open many more doors so that they can be helped.’” She lauded MC-SA Director Victor Azios, who accepted the award on the organization’s behalf, for his personal spirituality which he brought to the MC-SA team.

Azios recognized MC-SA’s many partners, both organizations and individuals, for their contributions to MC-SA’s success in reaching its goals of transforming neighborhoods by strengthening families.

“There is little you can do for children individually,” he said. “You have to work with family. You have to work with community.” He noted that 10 years ago Making Connections made a commitment to 22 communities across the country to work with families and children to better their lives, especially those children with the most need and who are most vulnerable.

“What we wanted to do,” he said, “was to try to transform neighborhoods by strengthening families.” This was done in three phases, beginning in 1999 with Phase One, which involved creating a movement whose success made San Antonio one of the first five locations to move into Phase Two. In the second phase, MC-SA served as a catalyst in the community to bring together different persons and organizations in partnering relationships. They are now in Phase Three, transitioning to local management.

“We’re creating,” he said, “what the Casey Foundation likes to call ‘a new normal,’ community creating change.” Azios related that the Benitia Family Center was the first place to which he brought representatives from the Casey Foundation when visiting the West Side. He introduced as co-partners in line to take over the local management of MC-SA programs, Catholic Charities, the City of San Antonio, Edgewood Independent School District and Family Services.

Surprising Sister Carmen Sanchez, MCDP, by calling her to join him onstage, he asked her to hold a statue of the head of Christ, noting the prayer of St. Teresa of Avila which refers to Christ having no body on earth but us. “We are his hands. We are his feet. We are the compassion that comes from his eyes,” he said. “That is what we first saw in Benitia (Center) when we first came and brought some people from the foundation — the hands and the feet working together.” He added that what Sister Benitia, Sister Carmen and the MCDPs have helped create is “a better tomorrow for our children, our families and our community.”

The evening also featured a silent and live auction, with media personality Elizabeth Ruiz serving as auctioneer. Music was provided by Mariachi Damas de Jalisco, an all-female mariachi ensemble, and Wayanay Inka de los Andes. A highlight of the award ceremonies was a video presentation on Making Connections-SA.

Look for more information on Making Connections-San Antonio in a forthcoming interview with Victor Azios, in a future issue of Today’s Catholic.