By Sister Denise Curry, SNDdeN
This article originally appeared in our Winter 2023 issue of Sowing Goodness.
Every July, Spanish Education for Women (SEW) returns to Polanco, a crowded, noisy, working-class neighborhood of Guadalajara, Mexico. sew is a group of U.S. women who set aside three weeks to improve their Spanish. Locals say that we gladden the streets of Polanco, frequenting the farmacia, papeleria, and tianguis (open-air market). Families who participate in the Comunidades Cristianas de Base are our hosts. Mornings are spent at our university, ITESO —a relaxing paradise of trees, birds, and quiet. iteso is a short ride but worlds away from Polanco. The real miracle of sew is the joy of reuniting with old friends and colleagues every year as if there had been no separation of time and space. New students become part of our growing community of learners and bridge-builders each year.
We meet Mexican women—laborers struggling to start unions and mothers searching for their disappeared children with picks and shovels. Valiant and brave women everywhere make their presence felt. Their commitments and struggles humble us.
SEW has written our language lessons about stories of artists, musicians, and famous and not-so famous Latina women.
There is always time for laughing, singing, cooking, crafts, and field trips. By summer’s end, we know the names of more than 30 sister travelers on this planet. The world is smaller, our hearts bigger and Spanish skills vastly improved when sew graduates return home to their classrooms, law offices, and parishes.
Sister Denise Curry, SNDdeN serves as the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Coordinator (JPIC) for the U.S. East-West Province of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.