Mary’s Pence 2023 at a Glance
We each hold in our hands great power to make the world a better place, and to create a beloved community. We use this power each time we create a sense of belonging for all, justice for all. This year, the Mary’s Pence Grants Program funded 19 organizations from across the country. Each organization is […]
Violence in the Northern Triangle
A farming issue in El Salvador has been the use of genetically modified seeds. Monsanto owns the seeds, and farmers have to buy new ones for each planting season. If they should blow onto a neighboring farm, that owner can be sued.
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ESPERA Assembly in Suchitoto, El Salvador
During the assembly, the women broke into small groups based on the kinds of business they run. Together they brainstormed ideas to improve their business and different ways to create economic solidarity.
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Social Justice: A calling for Sister Patricia Ann Hurley.
She was the steady, quiet rock who created a foundation in the home office so Maureen (Mary’s Pence foundress) could do her amazing work organizing, speaking, meeting — ever tilling the fields across the country. Together they built the legacy we all inherited.
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Exploring Economic Injustices: Guest Reflections on Visiting ESPERA Groups in Mexico
I visited the home of Letty in Cuentepec, a small indigenous village in the rural outskirts of Cuernavaca. It was the feast day of St. Sebastian, the patron Saint of their town, and following their custom, each family welcomed us with an edible feast of chicken mole with all the trimmings.
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Reflections on Traveling with the Women of ESPERA
In almost every ESPERA group I visited, the women told me that they use the loan to buy raw materials – these are expensive and the ESPERA loan is often the boost the women need to get their business started.
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Lessons Learned from Feminist Leaders
Recently in the United States a backlash has grown, especially among young women, against the label, “feminist.” Some women see it as anti-male. At Mary’s Pence that’s not how we see it – we root our work in values of Catholic Social Teaching and feminism – in values of justice, collaboration, and mutuality.
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Women’s Rights are Human Rights: Fighting for Equality through Advocacy and Education
WomenNC empowers a new generation of intelligent, educated leaders fighting for women’s rights, and thus, human rights. They provide the resources, guidance, and platform for these students to develop skills in research, policy, and public speaking.
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Solidarity at the Heart of Relationships – Bridgette Kelly
This was not the first time I have been in a group of women and engaged in a deep conversation about the meaning and reality of Solidarity. At the last board meeting, board members shared the real importance of solidarity among the women of Mary’s Pence, and the day to day relational quality of solidarity.
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Strong Women
I absolutely love studying the complex, often unjust world in which we all live. Looking at what’s wrong, and trying to help fix it. Combating inequality with strength. I believe this is crucial for women everywhere as we face extreme systemic inequalities, worldwide.
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