Biography

Sor Maria Guadalupe was 12 years old when she met Las Hijas de la Caridad and joined them at 18 years old. She decided to join because she wanted to give her life to the Lord in a different way and live for others, not for herself. Sor Maria Guadalupe says that “[she] may have a lot and be filled with lots of joy, but others need a lot from [her] too.” She says that sometimes, people just need to be listened to and seen rather than material things, and that’s what she is there for. She primarily works with poor chlidren, families and abandoned women. She is incredibly passionate about working with kids and says it gives her the opportunity to “plant a seed in their lives, so that they can break the ongoing cycle of poverty.” She loves working with the poor and emphasizes the importance of seeing past any negative things in their lives and seeing Christ in them instead.

Sor Maria Guadalupe came from a Catholic family of 8 children. Her father passed away, and her mother is very sick right now, so she travels to see her when possible.

Sor Maria Guadalupe’s advice to the youth is to take advantage of it, and not waste it doing worldly things that leave us feeling empty. She says that they should study, work hard, spend time with nature and family, and do what truly makes them happy and brings them closer to God.

Age: 45 years

Birthday: January 26

Biography

Sor Yolanda was 29 years old when she joined Las Hijas de la Caridad. She had an uncle who was a priest. She considered the religious life, so she asked her uncle for guidance. She discerned her vocation in Guatemala, where she also attended nursing school. She worked in Guatemala with the sisters for 30 years, primarily working with the poor and in underserved hospitals. She is now in El Salvador and has been there for 8 years. Sor Yolanda is incredibly happy that she joined Las Hijas de la Caridad because she has been able to serve the poor and those who are in most need. She says that she (and a lot of the other sisters) are no longer in schools and hospitals, but they are there to listen and help anyone who needs it.

Sor Yolanda had a very happy childhood despite losing her parents at a very young age. She was raised by her great aunt and attended an all-girls school. She enjoyed playing La Ronda (a game involving holding hands in a circle, spinning, and dancing) with her friends in her neighborhood.

Sor Yolanda says that “the world can seem nice because it offers a lot of 'liberties,' but it is nothing compared to the liberty that you have when you give your life to God.” She encourages the youth to think about others and their needs. Most importantly, she encourages listening to one another because she believes that serving others can be as simple as lending an ear.

Age: 88 years

Birthday: November 29

Biography

Sor Elba was 18 years old when she entered the religious life. She was studying nursing in Colombia when she met some of the sisters at the hospital, who were giving classes. Seeing the sisters struck her interest, and she eventually joined Las Hijas de la Caridad.

Sor Elba grew up in a rural area with her mother. Her mother was a teacher in rural communities, so Sor Elba learned a lot while she was with her mom. Sor Elba also grew up with sisters (one lives in Mexico and the others live in El Salvador), whom she sees every now and then.

Sor Elba says that your youth is the perfect time to find true value within yourself and your life!

Age: 78 years

Birthday: February 20

Biography

Sor Leticia entered Las Hijas de la Caridad in 1993. Her family was Catholic, but they did not go to Mass regularly during her childhood because they lived far from parishes in Costa Rica. She learned about God, the saints, and the Virgin Mary in school. She began to consider the religious life at 14 years old when a woman introduced her to a group called “Las Hijas de Maria,” where Las Hijas de la Caridad visited. At 17 years old, she had told them that she wanted to enter the convent, but she was too young to join. Sor Leticia continued to study and work in the meantime. She worked with orphans all throughout Central America. Sor Leticia enjoyed cooking for (and with some of) the kids and playing with the kids, especially outside in gardens with bunnies and roosters.

Sor Leticia has been through a lot of difficult things in life, including being diagnosed with diabetes and feeling sad after leaving orphanages, but she puts her trust in God to get her through life. Her advice to the youth is to follow whatever God places in their hearts and trust Him to give them the strength and guidance to get through everything in life. She advises people to use the internet wisely, because many videos, podcasts, and resources can help with spiritual growth, but there is also a lot of negativity and misinformation online.

Age:? years

Birthday: February 27

Biography

Sor Rosa was 18 years old when she began discerning her vocation and 21 when she joined Las Hijas de la Caridad. She had met a priest in her community who noticed her curiosity and introduced her to an order of sisters, which led her to meet a few orders. Ultimately, she decided to join Las Hijas de la Cardiad because of their commitment to serving the poor. Sor Rosa has worked on several projects in Central America. She worked with elderly communities in Costa Rica and Panama, as a nurse in Guatemala, and in orphanages in El Salvador. Sor Rosa also worked in Honduras, where she helped provide nursing care to poor communities in remote areas. She says that they went as far as to travel by boat on the rivers in Honduras to meet the poor.

Sor Rosa’s parents worked in agriculture, so she and her siblings primarily took care of the house as children. Her father fully supported her pursuing the religious life, while her mother was afraid of her moving around to different countries. Sor Rosa told her mother that she was “going to die at some point regardless of where [she] is,” so she may as well spend her life doing something good.

Sor Rosa advises the youth to “listen to God’s call once they feel it in their heart. Don't be afraid to give your life to God. The feeling of joy in serving others is much greater than fear.”

Age: 68

Birthday: November 1

Biography

Sor Marta joined the religious life at 20 years old and worked as a nurse up until 2002. She is passionate about visiting poor families and enjoys talking with them. She enjoyed working with local health departments to provide poor families with healthcare. Unfortunately, Sor Marta had surgery on her leg and is in a wheelchair, so she can no longer visit people or physically help them. She says that she consistently prays for the sick, the poor, and their intentions, as that is the only thing she is able to do for them now.

Sor Marta’s mother passed away while she was in formation. Her mother encouraged her and prayed for Sor Marta’s vocation. She had 5 siblings, who have all passed away, but her nieces and nephews visit her when possible.

Age: ?

Birthday: March 7

Biography

Sor Dora Maria did not have parents. Her mother died when she was born, and she was raised by a sister from Las Hijas de la Caridad in Honduras. She observed a lot of what the sisters did and always had a feeling that she’d be one of them. When Sor Dora was 7 years old, the sister who raised her had orders to go to Costa Rica and was not allowed to take Sor Dora with her. Her Godmother took her in and continued raising her. She was very happy with her Godmother and was very close to everyone in the family. Around 12 years old, she told her Godmother that she wanted to join Las Hijas de la Caridad, but her Godmother was not too happy about it and discouraged her. Sor Dora Maria did not like the response from her Godmother and ran away. While she was away, Sor Dora worked in the baby unit in a hospital with some sisters, where she sewed for the babies and took care of them. Her Godmother found her and took her back home. Sor Dora ran away again, but her Godmother was unable to take her back again and went to visit her instead. She eventually left for Guatemala for formation and worked all around Central America in orphanages and senior centers. She lived a super happy life and is now in El Salvador, where she still sews and makes table runners and cloths, hats, scarves, bags, etc!

Some advice she has is for everyone to always pray to God and ask for the Virgin Mary’s intercession so that we may all be guided down the right path.

Age: 93 years

Birthday:?

TBD

Biography

Sor Alicia is passionate about serving Christ through helping the poor with their every need. She is currently involved in a program that helps the poor and elderly with all of their needs, such as food and supplies. She has food prepared or brought to the convent so that she can help distribute it to anyone who is in need.

Sor Alicia was a teacher before entering the religious life. Once she became a sister, she taught in many schools throughout Central America, including schools in Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. She worked at the school at the San Jacinto de Polonia Parish until there was an earthquake that destroyed the school a couple of years ago.

Age: 91 years

Birthday: September 27 (Feast day of St Vincent de Paul–the “Apostle of Charity”)

Upper and lower dentures - complete

Biography

Sor Maria Alicia was 22 years old when she entered the community with Las Hijas de la Caridad. She decided that she wanted to enter the religious life while she was working at an orphanage, and helped the children get lice out of their hair! She has worked in Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and mostly in Guatemala with poor people with mental illnesses and primarily orphans. Sor Maria Alicia has always been passionate about working with children and orphans.

Sor Maria Alicia has 9 siblings, 7 of whom are still alive, and nieces and nephews who visit her when possible. She had a very happy childhood with her family. One of Sor Maria’s favorite memories as a child was when she liked to bake with her siblings behind her mom’s back. They would gather firewood for the oven, steal her mom’s flour, and tell her mom that they were making quesadillas while they baked sweets. She enjoyed going to school as well.

Age: 88 years

Birthday: January 20