| The 911 Community - Lavernge Schwender, OP
Did you know that Houston's 911 emergency response system was formed in large part due to the efforts of a Dominican sister?
From the early 1960s to the 1980s, cities all over the country were implementing their own phone numbers for emergency response, but because of political issues, a universal number was hard to establish. Locally, in the fall of 1982, Commissioner Tom Bass and City Attorney Mike Driscoll enlisted the aid of two county attorneys -- two women with Dominican ties. Laverne Hogan, a former Dominican sister, and Laverne Schwendler, OP went to work and immediately surveyed legislation all over the country dealing with universal emergency response systems. Forging through the political process, the "two Lavergne's" (as they came to be called) were able to write legislation to form the greater Harris County 911 emergency network.
In 1983, voters approved the creation and funding of this special-purpose district. Laverne Hogan, the district's first executive director sadly passed away in 2004, but Sr. Lavergne Schwender easily took over the leadership role. Under Sr. Laverne's watchful eye, Harris County became the first major metropolitan area in the nation to install wireless technology to locate cell phones. She continues to cultivate a proactive, one step ahead of the curve culture in the district that oversees 48 cities and two counties, and she does it all with a witty and cheerful outlook that has become her trademark.
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The Rio Grande Valley -- Charles Anne Solomon, OP
Every day is different in the routine of Sr. Charles Anne Solomon, who sometimes travels 100 miles a day in her job as Associate Superintendent of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Brownsville. Serving a constituency of 4000 students and their families, Sr. Charles Anne works with 13 Catholic school where over 15% of the students receive tuition assistance.
90% of the students are from Brownsville, McAllen, and surrounding areas, while 10% of the students are from the border town of Matamoros, Mexico, where poverty rates are high and salaries are low. Diocesan principals and teachers institute a pure ESL program that works to move children into English-language programs as quickly as possible. Combating the effects of the economic climate and high dropout rates in area schools is a mission Sister Charles Anne takes to heart. There are two Catholic high schools in the diocese -- St. Joseph Academy of Brownsville (celebrating their 100th anniversary this year) and Oratory of St. Philip Neri (a dual language school). 96% of graduates go on to college.
Sister Charles Anne also volunteers in her home parish of St. Pius X. of Weslaco, helping those in grief support programs. She is a diligent and determined voice for the students and the blessing to all in the Diocese of Brownsville.
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Guatemala Mission
Click here for a video featuring Sister Theresa Macey's work in Guatemala!
On March 11, 2007, the Dominican sisters of Houston celebrated the 40th year anniversary of the missionary establishment of a Dominican presence in Guatemala. They began their ministry and Zacapa where they were joined by a number of native teachers including a young teacher, Miriam Oliveros.
So drawn was Miriam to the Dominican work, that in 1972 she professed her vows to religious life. Today Sr. Miriam Oliveros continues her commitment to ministry in Guatemala as principal of San Vincente de Paul Bethenia. She works closely with one of the original founders, Sr. Teresa Macey, who is working to develop leaders among the youth of Guatemala.
Since the founding of the school in 1966, more than 12,000 students have received a Dominican education in the school, which serves children in PK through sixth grade. 85% of the students graduate and go on to higher education. Currently, six alumnae are teachers at the school, and over 6000 youth have benefited from leadership programs in their community.
Special thanks go to all who have contributed significant and sustaining support to the Guatemalan mission of the Dominican sisters and to Sr. Miriam for her dedication to the children of Guatemala and the community she serves.
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The Universe - Linda Gibler, OP
Sr. Linda Gibler thoroughly embraces study as a pillar of her daily life. She has spent the last eight years at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco where she recently completed a doctoral degree in philosophy and religion with an emphasis in philosophy, cosmology, and consciousness. Dr. Gibler's dissertation is titled Cosmocentric Sacramentality: Water, Oil, and Fire in the Roman Catholic Celebration of Baptism. So impressive and complete was Linda's dissertation, that it was accepted without change, a rare achievement indeed.
Linda hopes to share her knowledge to help people understand and respond to today's global crisis. Earth has suffered five mass extinctions, and is in the midst of number six. This is the first and only expansion resulting from a single species -- humanity. But through teaching there is help. Linda delights in teaching the 14 billion dear story of what she calls "our God-Drenched universe" and offers presentations designed to help us become more intimately aware of God in all aspects of creation, particularly in the common things that surround us. To paraphrase Thomas Aquinas, "without an accurate understanding of nature, we cannot truly understand God," and this is the understanding Linda hopes to bring to our community.
Linda has recently returned to Houston to be closer to the community and to her family, and to teach wherever the opportunity arises.
Click here for more Good News!
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