I have been with CEA for two years. My responsibilities entail daily operations from phones, IT, phone operations, customer assistance for school and parishes. I have been with the Diocese of Phoenix for seven years, having previously worked at Bourgade Catholic High School and St. Jerome Catholic School.
We were raised by strong parents who believed in their Catholic faith, and as parents we have continued to teach and model the faith with our children. We have two sons: Joseph, who works for the City of Albuquerque, and Charles, who attended St. Jerome and Bourgade Catholic. We have three daughters, Alicia, Cecilia, and Aitana. Alicia attended St. Jerome and Barry Goldwater High School. Cecilia attended St. Jerome and Bourgade Catholic. Cecilia graduated from Grand Canyon University and is in her second year of teaching at St. Gregory Catholic School. Aitana currently attends St. Gregory.
My Catholic faith is important to my family and me. Yes, there was a time that I was ready to give up on my faith. In 2003, my daughter Alicia was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. She had to undergo a six-hour surgery and countless hours of chemotherapy, radiation and numerous surgeries. She has multiple disabilities resulting from the brain tumor, but because of her faith, she has taught me to always believe and never give up. I look at her every day and believe that God needs this beautiful Angel here on earth to show others that life is what you make it and as long as you have your faith and believe in yourself and God, you can accomplish anything. The one wish Alicia had was to attend a Catholic high school. Catholic high school in the diocese at that time said they did not have the resources to accept her as a student, so she was unable. I am happy that five years ago the Arizona Catholic Schools Disabilities Fund was created to assist children (like mine!) and teachers with resources for schools to enroll and educate exceptional learners in our high schools.
Pope Francis has stated “People with disabilities are a gift for the family and an opportunity to grow in love, mutual aid and unity.”
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted “I welcome gratefully your commitment to the Catholic education and religious formation of children with special needs in the Diocese of Phoenix”.
Two Favorite Quotes:
“All the darkness of the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”
-St. Francis of Assisi-
“Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
-St. Francis of Assisi-
