| From the General Secretariat - December 2009 |
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 December 2009Santa Rosa de Santo Domingo, Heredia Costa Rica Dear sisters, brothers and friends of the Latin American Theological Fellowship, We sadly share with you the news that on November 21st one of our pioneers, Catharine Ruth Feser Padilla passed into the full presence of God. In the midst of the pain of her loss, we celebrate her life and 49 years of valuable contribution to the mission of God in Latin American lands and beyond, and to the life and ministry of the LATF in particular. A rigorous and faithful scholar and teacher of the Bible, Cathy not only led her students and readers to discover God’s Word in the biblical text, inspiring in them a passion for its study. Through her humble and unassuming discipleship she also challenged us to lead lives of obedience. Cathy loved God, loved her family, and loved the people of God. She expressed that love in concrete, radical ways, with a clear commitment of solidarity and generosity, especially toward the most vulnerable. Until the day of her departure, Cathy continued her way of Bible and service. She was in the process of baking bread for a needy family. She was also arduously dedicated to finalizing the second Edition of her widely used and appreciated manual, (“The Word of God for the People of God”, Ediciones Kairos, 2008). Other publications, mainly in Spanish, deal with the relationship of men and women from a biblical perspective and the ministry of women in the church. With her death, the LATF loses a woman who, as such, opened a way for women continent wide to integrate their multiple vocations, as single women, as wives, as mothers, as professionals –theologians, teachers, preachers--, as full citizens, alongside men, of God’s people, and as active agents in the search for God’s Kingdom and God’s justice. May God grant us the grace of following Jesus as Cathy did, until his return! With gratitude for your prayers and multiple expressions of support to the Padilla family, Ruth Padilla DeBorst General Secretary Latin American Theological Fellowship |