Norma Pimentel
Norma Pimentel, MJ (born July 1, 1953) is a Mexican-American nun of the Missionaries of Jesus and the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.[1][2] She has been praised by Pope Francis and others for her work with refugees and immigrants to the United States.[1][3] She has also gained international attention for her work and for speaking out against the Trump administration family separation policy.[1][2][4]
In 2020, she was included on Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.[5]
Early life[]
Pimentel was born on July 1, 1953,[4] in Brownsville, Texas, where her parents had applied for residency.[2][4] Her mother was from Matamoros and her father was from Chiapas, both in Mexico.[4]
She started kindergarten in Matamoros, Mexico, and then moved to Brownsville, Texas.[1][2] She describes herself as an American citizen by chance, having grown up on both sides of the border.[2][4] She has four siblings.[4]
She was a poor student in high school but improved her grades enough to be admitted to college.[1] She studied art, earning a bachelor's degree in the subject from the Pan American University.[4] She made money as a young woman designing window displays for clothing stores.[1]
Religious life[]
Pimentel entered religious life against the wishes of her family.[1] She entered the Missionaries of Jesus in 1978.[4] As part of her formation, she earned a master's degree in theology from St. Mary's University.[4][1] She later earned a second master's in counseling at Loyola University Chicago.
She began working with refugees in 1980 at the Casa Oscar Romero and there developed a passion for the work.[4] Pimental became executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in 2004,[a] having previously served as a counselor and assistant director.[4][1][3][2] In this role she provides food, shelter, and other necessities to migrants entering the United States.[3][2] She has been featured in newspapers around the world, on 20/20, CNN, 60 Minutes, and more.[4]
Pimentel continues to paint, often portraying the refugee families she sees in her shelter.[4] The paintings are often donated to fundraisers, and one was given as a gift to Pope Francis during his 2015 trip to the United States.[4]
Pimentel was selected to receive the Laetare Medal by the University of Notre Dame in recognition of outstanding service to the Catholic Church and society in March 2018.
Notes[]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Farragher, Thomas (March 1, 2020). "With humility and a soft voice, she fights Trump on the border". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c Guidos, Rhina (February 14, 2019). "Border city to close Catholic Charities center run by Sister Norma Pimentel". America. Catholic News Service. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Salgado, Soli; Stockman, Dan (August 17, 2019). "Sr. Norma Pimentel, LCWR award recipient, embraces 'holy chaos' of her ministry to migrants". Global Sister's Report.
- ^ "Sister Norma Pimentel: The 100 Most Influential People of 2020". Time. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- American people of Mexican descent
- American Roman Catholic religious sisters and nuns
- People from Matamoros, Tamaulipas
- People from Brownsville, Texas
- University of Texas–Pan American alumni
- Loyola University Chicago alumni
- Laetare Medal recipients
- St. Mary's University, Texas alumni
- Time 100
- American women painters
- 1953 births
- Living people
- 20th-century Christian nuns
- 21st-century Christian nuns
- 21st-century American women