Sister Ana María Pineda, RSM, STD, a member of the leadership team of the Sisters of Mercy, West Midwest, was acknowledged as the founding director of the Óscar Romero Scholars Program at the 25th anniversary celebration held Nov. 2 at Catholic Theological Union.

As part of the evening, current director Marco Lopez presented the Romero Award to Congressman Jesus Garcia of Chicago. Garcia was honored for his contributions to the Hispanic Community and received a citation, a plaque and a signed copy of the book "Romero and Grande. Companions on the Journey," which Sister Ana Maria authored. Sister Ana María founded the scholars program in 1994 during her 10-year tenure at CTU where she was a faculty member and director of the Hispanic Ministry Program.

A collaborative effort with the Archdiocese, The Óscar Romero Scholars Program prepares lay, Hispanic/Latina women and men for professional ministry. Romero Scholars earn a graduate degree with the benefit of a full-tuition scholarship and a creative formation program inspired by the life and ministry of Blessed Óscar Romero. Since its inception, 31 individuals have graduated from this program. In addition to her leadership position with the Sisters of Mercy, Sister Ana María is a tenured faculty member in the religious studies department at Santa Clara University where she has taught for 21 years.

For more information, https://ctu.edu/initiatives/romero-program/