Sister Esperanza Jasso Beltrán began doing social justice work in Mexico, including popular education and community organization. “In the 1980's Esperanza left Mexico to join Carol Putnam, RSCJ, in Indiantown, Florida, where Carol had established a beautiful work of education for poor migrant Hispanic children.” Her ministry included working as an administrator for a school, which served children of migrant farm workers. A few years later, she went to California “to undertake, with the students, a ministry of social outreach to the poor at Sacred Heart Parish, San Jose.”
When Carol Putnam died, Esperanza moved to Mecca, California, to continue her work there. Esperanza “lived for fourteen years in a tiny trailer on church property, where she ministered to both migrants and Native Americans.” During her years in Mecca, “she reported . . . that government helicopters, in pursuit of undocumented migrants, hovered over her little town, making it a veritable war zone. Frightened mamas brought their children to the trailer where she lived for sanctuary.”
Esperanza recruited other members of the Sacred Heart family to aid her ministry. In order to develop leadership skills among the people she served, Esperanza engaged sisters from the Spiritual Ministry Center every month for a year. Frances Tobin “visited her quite regularly and assisted many of her people with documentation.” Members of the Founders Club assisted with the youth. “In time, [Esperanza’s] ministry focused on the elementary school in Mecca, where she spent long hours helping both teachers and administrators in their task of raising standards within the school.”
Quotations from obituary.
To learn more about Esperanza Jasso, click on the links underneath her picture.
