MARY WARD CENTER IN SOUTH CHICAGO

February 28, 2007

Dear Friends,

In the 1890s my grandparents immigrated to the United States.  They were blessed to enter a country where they were able to speak and understand the language.  My grandfather, John Foley, a teacher in Ireland, was unable to secure a position in this country that would allow him to use his gifts and talents to educate children.  Instead he worked on the streetcars transporting people around the city of Chicago.  I am sure he did some teaching along the way.  He enjoyed people, loved to tell stories and was known as a skilled communicator.

His four children attended Catholic elementary and high schools.  He prided himself on being able to help his children with their homework.  Not only was English spoken in the home, but it was also the language spoken in school.  Assisting his children with their reading, writing and arithmetic was easy for him to do.  Now that we are in the 21st Century, things have changed significantly.

In countries around the world people yearn for a better life for themselves and their families; they are eager and sometimes even desperate to come to the United States to live out their dream.  Many of these immigrants enter the U.S. unable to speak or to understand English.  They soon realize that learning to speak, read and write English is essential to the fulfillment of their dream.   

Our founder, Mary Ward, urged her Sisters to “meet the needs of the times.”  In South Chicago we respond to her mandate by addressing the needs of those struggling to learn English.  Opened in 1999, Mary Ward Center strives to create new possibilities for those desiring to develop these needed skills.

Mary Ward Center is housed in a two-story home with a finished basement directly across the street from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on the east side of Chicago.  We rent the building from the Claretian Fathers for $600 per month.  Three IBVM Sisters, ranging in age from 70 to 76, live in the Center and teach students full time.  They are assisted in this ministry by ten trained volunteers.  We need your help not only to continue but also to move this ministry into the future.

Difficult questions of personnel, resources and sustainability now face us.  The need surfaced for a dedicated, competent lay person to join the staff in the administration of Mary Ward Center.  The hope of the U.S. Province is to insure the future of this ministry when we are no longer able to provide the Center with IBVM Sisters.

Among our volunteers we found a young Catholic laywoman, Letty Esteviz, who not only lives in the neighborhood but who is also committed to the development of the local community.  In early January, Mary Ward Center hired Letty as a full-time staff member.  Letty told me, “It is a privilege for me to become a full-time staff member at Mary Ward Center. It enables me to do what I love most—to serve my community with an emphasis on educating adults. The classes at the Center help improve the quality of life for the students, their families and the community. My vision for the future of Mary Ward Center is to provide opportunities for adults to learn in an environment that fosters their intellectual and spiritual growth.”

As an IBVM sponsored ministry, the U.S. Province provides full-time teachers, space and resources.  The Office of Development assists Mary Ward Center in its fund-raising endeavors.  The Center operates on a small and carefully prepared budget.  The Sisters— Pat Pendleton, Lorraine Crawford and Mary Howard Moriarty—are skilled in keeping expenses down while meeting the operational needs of this ministry.

We need you to partner with us in support of this vital ministry.  Through this appeal we hope to raise $50,000 to fund Letty’s salary, pay the rent and utilities for one year, and to enhance the computer classes by providing high-speed Internet access.  Additional funds earned through this appeal will be applied to the IBVM Retirement Fund.

Your generosity has sustained us throughout the years.  We rely on you for your prayers and financial support.  In the United States, the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary has served in many schools, parishes and communities from 1880 up through today.  The people of South Chicago have voiced a need to us.  They want to learn English, to become computer literate and to prepare for their citizenship tests.  Please consider partnering with us in this ministry.  We need you in order to be able to meet the needs of our time.

Sincerely,

Kay Foley, IBVM

Director of Development

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