Melissa Cedillo

Melissa Cedillo is NCR's Latino Catholics Project fellow. She is a recent graduate of Harvard Divinity School who studied religion, ethics, and politics through a public policy lens. She is passionate about bridging the gap between progressive politics and religion in America. She has a background in immigration advocacy, domestic violence policy and criminal justice work. She was born and raised in southern California, where she studied Theology at Loyola Marymount University. 

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Sr. Rosemary Nicholson helps children make animal masks at Madre Asunta in Tijuana, Mexico. She has worked at Instituto Madre Asunta, a shelter for migrants across the border from San Diego, since summer 2018. (Courtesy of Rosemary Nicholson)

Q & A with Sr. Rosemary Nicholson, ministering to migrant children at the Tijuana border

Religious of Jesus and Mary Sr. Rosemary Nicholson was working at Instituto Madre Asunta, a shelter for migrants across the border from Tijuana, Mexico, when migrant caravans arrived in San Diego in late 2018. "These were sacred moments," she said. "The resilience of faith that migrants have is profound."

Sr. Margaret Castro of the Sisters for Christian Community sits in her office Aug. 26 at St. Rita Catholic Church in San Diego, where she has ministered for 35 years. (GSR photo/Melissa Cedillo)

Q & A with Sr. Margaret Castro, whose San Diego parish ministry saw both loss and growth during pandemic

Sr. Margaret Castro of the Sisters for Christian Community has ministered at St. Rita's in San Diego for 35 years. She was pleasantly surprised the parish saw an increase in English speakers who wanted to receive sacraments and strong Mass attendance this year, despite the pandemic.