Within the Mother of Divine Grace School Community, we are working toward reaching families of various cultures to welcome them into our strong, faith-centered community.

New Ambassadors
 
Parents are leaders in the school community helping one another, reaching out to new families, and being of assistance in many ways to the school personnel.  Today, we have a new wave of school parent ambassadors called Madrinas.  
 
In Spanish, Madrinas means godmother.   But in the Hispanic cultures, godparents have a unique authoritative and supportive role in a family.   They are also called the ‘companions’ of the parents.  Why use the word Madrina as a new way to call ambassadors? 
 
Our Catholic schools foster a Catholic identity in our students through religion classes, Mass attendance, moral formation, prayer gatherings, and good works that help build character and kindness in our children.  But the Catholic Church has never left anyone to grow alone, we build a family for and in God.  Madrinas or godmothers are another way for us to continue to foster our Catholic identity while empowering parents to help one another in a relaxed and culturally familiar way.  
 
I work with school personnel and pastoral leadership to help build up madrinas for their communities.   This work has proved valuable in schools when a principal can reach out to a Madrina and ask for assistance in working with families who are of a non-English speaking background.  The Madrinas also help give multicultural students a level of comfort in knowing that their parents are able to speak with someone in the school.  Madrinas help foster a community life for families by being the bridge parents need to be more active in our schools.
 
If you would like to learn more about the Madrinas ministry and how it can help you grow your enrollment, empower your parents, and create a multicultural community, please contact me at the Office of Catholic Education or via email at nlsanchez@archphila.org.