Immigration advocate Sister Norma Pimentel to address faith, dignity during April 14 lecture

April 6, 2026

Sister Norma Pimentel, one of TIME Magazine’s 2026 Women of the Year, will present the annual St. Catherine of Siena Lecture.

The Aquinas Center of Theology and La Mesa Academy of Theological Studies at Candler School of Theology will welcome Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley (CCRGV), to campus on Tuesday, April 14, to present the center’s annual St. Catherine of Siena Lecture.

The free event will be held in Cannon Chapel at 7:30 p.m., with a livestream option available. Registration is required to attend in person or online.

Recently named one of TIME Magazine’s 2026 Women of the Year, Pimentel is a longtime immigration and refugee advocate who became known as “Pope Francis’s favorite nun” because of her tireless work at the U.S.-Mexico border. In her lecture at Candler, she will offer reflections on the intersection of immigration, faith and human dignity that stem from her decades of ministry.

Her work includes efforts to make the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, Texas, a safe harbor for migrants. Through Pimentel’s leadership with CCRVG, the center has provided nourishment, shelter and other essentials to more than 100,000 migrants. In the wake of recent federal funding cuts and fewer asylum seekers, Pimentel and the organization have pivoted to support the elderly, food insecure and unhoused populations in the area.

Pimentel has served as executive director of CCRGV since 2004. A painter who earned her BA in fine arts from Pan American University, she is also known for her portraits of migrant mothers and children that she serves, which tell a fuller story of who they are and their experiences on the margins. Pimentel holds a master of theology degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and a master of arts degree in pastoral counseling from Loyola University Chicago. She is a member of the Missionaries of Jesus, a religious order founded in Spain.

The Aquinas Center’s annual St. Catherine of Siena Lecture welcomes a highly respected individual within Catholicism to speak to a crucial and critical issue of concern to the Catholic church and society at large. It is named for Dominican Saint Catherine of Siena, who was named a Doctor of the Church in 1970, along with St. Teresa of Avila. In total, four of 38 Doctors of the Church are women. St. Catherine of Siena is credited with writing over 400 letters, in addition to “The Dialogue,” her most well-known book.

This year’s lecture is supported by a grant from the Lumen Christi Institute with funding from the John Templeton Foundation.

St. Catherine of Siena Lecture with Sister Norma Pimentel

Tuesday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m.

Cannon Chapel

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St. Catherine of Siena Lecture with Sister Norma Pimentel

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