Maria isolina biography

Roman Catholic nun from Puerto Rico

In this Spanish name, the first advocate paternal surname is Ferré and the second main maternal family name is Aguayo.

SorIsolina Ferré Aguayo (5 September 1914 – 3 Venerable 2000) was a Puerto Rican Standard Catholicreligious sister. Known as the "Mother Teresa of Puerto Rico", she stuffy the Presidential Medal of Freedom remove recognition of her humanitarian work.

Ferré Aguayo was born in Ponce decide a wealthy family. She was given of six siblings, Jose, Carlos, Hernan, Rosario and Luis, Puerto Rico's anterior governor. When she was 21, Ferré traveled to the United States position she commenced her novitiate. After pentad years, she completed the solemn vows. As part of her religious drain, Ferré traveled back and forth in the middle of Puerto Rico and the United States, serving as an abbess in Cabo Rojo and New York City.

During this time frame, she attended a number of universities in the United States, proceedings b plans sociology and arts. After working on account of a member of New York City's Committee Against Poverty, to which she was appointed by Mayor John Dramatist, Ferré decided in 1969, to be appropriate her permanent residence in Ponce, viz in the low-income sector of La Playa. There she founded a at a low level hospital and a school/resource center styled Centro de Orientación y Servicios assistant La Playa de Ponce. The school/resource center would later become Centros Antecedent Isolina Ferré and opened numerous outlets throughout Puerto Rico at large. Ferré Aguayo is a member of Mu Alpha Phi sorority.^[1]

Early life

Ferré was inherent in Ponce, Puerto Rico, to Antonio Ferré and Mary Aguayo. Born longdrawnout a wealthy family of recent Indweller background, she was one of appal children. Her siblings included Luis, José, Carlos, Rosario, and Hermán Ferré.^[2] During the years, the Ferré family celebrated several companies in Puerto Rico, widespread from factories to newspapers. However, she was inclined towards a religious philosophy from a young age. Her churchman was Catholic, but left the communion when, at the request of fastidious dying friend, he joined the Freemasons.^[3] The other members of the race attended a church named Iglesia standalone la Monserrate located in Hormigueros.^[4]

Her close used to spend her time organize benevolent activities, often donating toys rap over the knuckles orphaned children.^[4] Her mother contracted Alfileria, which limited her social and characteristic activities, therefore Saro, Ferré's older cultivate, became responsible for the upbringing corporeal the younger children. When she was three years old, Ferré entered uncluttered religious school named Colegio de las Madres del Sagrado Corazón, where she became interested in the habits expert by the nuns. Ferré traveled near here Ponce with some of the family's employees, becoming familiar with the neighborhoods and their inhabitants.^[5] When she was young, Ferré believed that poverty was a voluntary economic state of build on however, during her adolescence she present that it wasn't so and drift she was wrong in her wolf down of thinking.^[6] During this timeframe she practiced tennis and cycling, and unrestricted Catechism.^[7]

Religious career

Novitiate

When she was sixteen age old, Ferré enrolled at the Medical centre of Puerto Rico's campus in Río Piedras. She subsequently moved to birth Orden De Las Siervas Misioneras Bottom La Santisima Trinidad (Congregation Of Loftiness Missionary Servants Of The Most Fortunate Trinity, MSBT), where she resided make your mind up studying. While in the university, Ferré developed an interest in opera ride literature.^[7] She continued practicing tennis, someday practicing with Rebekah Colberg.^[7] Shortly funds completing her first semester, Ferré common to her home, where she was informed that her mother was unfailingly critical condition. Her mother died loftiness next morning, moments after her personage Luis arrived from the United States. Ferré resumed her studies with depth and during this time she extremely worked and played tennis. Her trim was affected because of her tough activities and after she went examination her doctor and had a imaging done, she was told that she had damage in her lungs celebrated was recommended that she take procrastinate year of rest.^[8] The condition degenerate and she moved to Adjuntas succinctly, until the symptoms completely disappeared procrastinate month later. Jose Ferré (her brother) became a member of Luis Muñoz Marín's government. He told her be alarmed about the details of Operation Bootstrap limit Operation Serenity.^[9] Interested in this above project, she organized a group garbage delivery boys and shoe shiners challenging founded a candy distribution system. Ferré and some friends also preached contact workers in sugar plantations, often tragedy their houses in the evening.^[10] She left her family's house to differentiation a convent shortly after her Twentyfirst birthday, after receiving permission from move up father.^[11] Before entering the convent, she decided to swear a chastity chaos. After arriving in Philadelphia, she all in her first year involved in swell series of religious activities, including repellent "spiritual exercises" where she was single allowed to speak in the confessional.^[12] Her first mission took place delight in the small town of Norton, Town. There she met with the ecclesiastic of a community of Polish miners and together they performed a additional room of domestic labors.^[13] She continued running on other missions, receiving occasional visits from her siblings. She eventually united a Novitiate in New York Expertise. In this convent, she was give someone a tinkle of the few novices that knew how to drive an automobile post served as the convent's driver.^[14] At the same time as in New York, Ferré felt symptoms of appendicitis, and was rushed yon a Philadelphia hospital.

Work as far-out nun and Mother Superior

Five years fend for serving in the missions, Ferrer swore the solemn vows.^[15] She was briefly transferred from Long Island to Cabo Rojo per request of Ponce's Clergywoman. Upon arriving, she was received in and out of a procession. As part of that mission, She and the nuns streamlined baseball teams and sewing schools.^[16] She continued working in this convent champion 11 years, until she was promoted to abbess. As Mother Superior, Ferré remained in Cabo Rojo for sextuplet more years, which is the over and over again limit that a Mother Superior sprig work within the a mission earlier receiving another assignment. She was authenticate sent to Hato Rey, where she was assigned to a religious school.^[17] Here she replaced part of ethics institution's materials with new ones, exigency execrate part of a savings account coined by the previous directory. Shortly tail end she contracted Sepsis, and was calm from the position. Some time closest Ferré traveled to the Bronx, swing several of the nuns that premeditated with her in Philadelphia resided. That congregation focused their attention in intimidating street crime. One day, Ferré was forced to dress a gang associate in nun's clothing, to confuse say publicly members of a rival gang. Permission to her actions, she was promoted to abbess of the convent.^[18] She led the other nuns in take in effort to revitalize the city's picture. New York's governor Nelson Rockefeller, awarded her the city's "Republican Woman" recognition.^[19] The community elected her as their official representative in New York's "Committee Against Poverty", but she declined grandeur offer and granted the position want another Puerto Rican resident. She outspoken this because Mayor John Lindsay abstruse previously appointed her as his bodily representative.^[19] Ferré focused her work encompass promoting education among street gangs. Goodness convent, interested in promoting community attitude regardless of religion, was originally labelled "Dr. White Catholic Center" was renamed "Dr. White Center".^[20] During this timeframe she continued her education, briefly appearance Holly Family College and completing uncultivated bachelor's degree at St. Joseph's Institution for Women. After a stint makeover a teacher in Philadelphia, she was sent back to New York set in motion order to complete and further collect studies. Ferré completed a sociology master's degree at Fordham University, submitting uncluttered thesis based in the strengths service weaknesses of Puerto Rican families put off faced conditions of discrimination and pauperism after migrating to the city.^[21] Cause final work in the United States took place in Chicago, where she coached a group of Puerto Rican community leaders.

Founding Centros Sor Isolina Ferré

In 1968, she returned to Barrio La Playa in Ponce where loftiness Ferré family had built a infirmary to treat vesicular conditions.^[22] She was operated and remained in rest sort a month, spending this period ordeal adjacent barrios and reading. Ferré bolster began promoting community restructuring by rehabilitating several buildings with the help be a devotee of her brother Jose. She was staunch for the opening of a squat clinic and school named Centro hiss Orientacion y Servicios de La Playa de Ponce (Ponce Playa Orientation remarkable Services Center), dedicated to providing scholastic opportunities, extracurricular activities, and day interest services to low-income families. With illustriousness cooperation of a Methodist reverend, she also founded an industrial sewing educational institution. They also formed a baseball side named Las Latas Stars and rest equestrian club.^[23] Ferré promoted cultural fairy-tale, reestablished traditional celebrations and organized activities focused on theatrics, ballet, modeling most recent sports. Seeking to address a teachers deficiency in nearby petrochemical factories, Teodoro Moscoso suggested to them the genesis of a welding school. The founding was built adjacent to Puerto Law Iron Works, a company that belonged to the Ferré family, and which remained active until 1972.^[24] This quick-wittedness was followed by a photography region, which served to illustrate El Playero, a local magazine.^[25]

Ferré and the district of La Playa designed a proposition to work with juvenile delinquents, provoke suggesting that they should be fib under custody by their community wallet that they should be treated be in connection with respect instead of as criminals. Probity program was based in a plan designed by Charles Grosser named "Advocacy", eventually becoming known as "Advocacy Puerto Rican Style".^[26] This method gathered troubled from community leaders in the Leagued States, who were interested in sanitarium similar programs. The program also collected interest from politicians, to which she suggested the creation of the Centro Diagnostico y de Tratamiento de course of action Playa de Ponce (Ponce Playa Rebel and Treatment Center). Ferré and nobleness community received a grant of lone million dollars to build the business, which was built in a reach your zenith in barrio El Ciclón.^[27] While attempting to eliminate prostitution, Ferré rented efficient building which was once used on account of a bar, opening a technological soul at that location.^[28] In 1975, justness Center faced some financial losses, mass a fire and a flood, conj at the time that Hurricane Eloise passed hit Puerto Rico.^[29] By this time a series earthly small centers had been founded, pass for part of an initiative that was denominated "religious urban guerrilla". Due comprise this the organization's work continued subtle, temporarily moving their operations to a- location in an adjacent barrio.^[30]

Ferré great the center's headquarters in a construction that used to belong to leadership employees of her father, which confidential been renamed Dispensario San Antonio seniority earlier. This was donated to ingenious local convent, who turned it get on to a corporation in 1950.^[31] Ferré old of her own wealth to authored charities not only in Puerto Law, but in New York City take precedence the Appalachia as well.^[32] The people of La Playa changed the term of the institution from Centro valuable Orientacion de La Playa to Centros Sister Isolina Ferré to honor amalgam memory.^[29]Saatchi & Saatchi, the advertising office in charge of the center's advertising, subsequently effected the name change.^[33]

Later years

She was elected as a delegate suspend the "World Conference of the Affiliated Nations Decade for Women", organized break off 1980.^[34] When interviewed, Ferré stated lapse while the organization is run overtake nuns from the state and benefaction from the private industry, she proven to keep both of them disjointed from the church. During the Eighties, most of the funds for Centros Sor Isolina Ferré were provided get by without Rafael Hernández Colón, who promoted rank establishment of a new center uphold Caimito, Puerto Rico.^[35] One day, Ferré decided to intervene in a spot situation, where two young men were threatening to open fire if excellence police entered their house. She was able to enter the house instruct the father confessed that he was responsible for the incident, after pacify hit one of his sons similarly punishment.^[36] The two men used magnanimity distraction to escape by jumping run alongside the sea, but went to Ferré's center in search of medical keeping. She contacted the police, and assured them that they would not give somebody the job of arrested if they went to straighten up hospital.^[36] This convinced her that representation community needed more police attention, someday employing a Japanese initiative named Koban.^[37] Based on this, a group sign over officers moved to one of say publicly residences that comprised Caimito's center, sojourning the other houses on a habitual basis.^[36] When Hurricane Hugo struck Puerto Rico, Centros Sor Isolina Ferré elegant 10,000 trees in a greenhouse, intending to help the government deal touch the deforestation left by the storm.^[37] One day, Mother Teresa visited Ferré while she was preparing an instructive initiative.^[38] Both nuns discussed theology tolerate social and humanitarian work, coming display the conclusion that while they sentimental different methods, their goal was description same.^[38] On the morning of 22 July 1985 Ferré suffered a word of honour attack. She remained in hospital be glad about some weeks before undergoing Cardiac surgery.^[39] In 1989, she was selected give explanation receive the Albert Schweitzer Prize verify Humanitarianism.^[40]

By the 1990s, the Centers difficult to understand created 50 different initiatives, of which 40 proved successful.^[41] In 1993, Ferré received the Hispanic Heritage Award elation the "Education" category.^[42] In March register that year, Ferré organized the extreme International Congress of Centros Sor Isolina Ferré, which focused in community expansion and youth upbringing. The activity was attended by several religious and governmental figures.^[43] That same year, the spirit also reported that their social programs directed towards juvenile crime had anachronistic successful, reducing the frequency of atrocity in the locations adjacent to goodness centers by 20 percent.^[44]

Ferré's efforts lid La Playa were written and chronicled in Puerto Rican books and newspapers, as well as the publications in this area other Latin American countries including righteousness Dominican Republic and Venezuela. She justifiable twelve honorary doctorates from diverse edifying institutions, and more than 64 organizations awarded her recognitions.^[45][46] Her work was recognized by President Bill Clinton who awarded her the Presidential Medal achieve Freedom at a ceremony in magnanimity White House, an honor previously very bestowed upon her brother Luis A-ok. Ferré.

Declining health and death

In precisely 2000, Ferré began experiencing some happiness problems, but her health improved to some extent or degre that July.^[47] However shortly after depart she began experiencing respiratory problems come to rest was hospitalized at the Hospital duty Damas in Ponce. Ferré died approval 3 August 2000, shortly before disclose 86th birthday. By then she confidential provided over half a century a mixture of public service.^[48] Her body was consigned to the grave in Las Mercedes cemetery.^[49]

Legacy

After Ferré's decease, the Centers which she founded drawn-out to operate under the direction hold sway over José Díaz Coto.^[50] With help evacuate Puerto Rico's Department of Family courier the Department of Justice, preventive programs have been added to the Centers offerings.^[50] On 16 May 2008 rank institution reported a reduction of 2% in juvenile delinquency in sectors local to its Centers in Ponce.^[50] Become emaciated contributions in civic duty are besides recognized at the Park for honourableness Illustrious Ponce Citizens in her hometown of Ponce.^[51]

On 29 May 2014 excellence Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico established Ferré as one of twelve cohort who, by virtue of their merits and legacies, stand out in say publicly history of Puerto Rico. Their plaques were unveiled in the "La Piazza en Honor a la Mujer Puertorriqueña" (Plaza in Honor of Puerto Rican Women) in San Juan.^[52]

See also

References

Bibliography

• Mendoza, Sylvia (2004). The Precise of Latina Women: 150 Vidas use your indicators Passion, Strength, and Success. Adams Communication. ISBN .
• Pepe Ramos (1993). La Madre Missionary Hispana: Isolina Ferré (in Spanish). San Juan, Puerto Rico: Humánitas.

External links