Pictured above are the Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament at Holy Family Church. On Thursday, March 26 they celebrated the beginning of the Centennial of their order with an 8:15 a.m. Mass at Holy Family Church and a reception held in the school cafeteria that afternoon. From left to right are: Sr. Mary Rodriguez, Sr. Mariann Edina, Sr. Dolores Castellanos, Sr. Patricia Rodriguez, Sr. Nieves Fernandez, and Sr. Estella Contreras (missing are Sr. Encarnacion Martinez and Sr. Agnes Rangel.) The sisters received gifts and cards at the reception and reminisced about events that led up to their calling. STC/Mary Cottingham

The Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament at Holy Family Church celebrated the beginning of the Centennial of their order with an 8:15 a.m. Mass at Holy Family Church and a reception held in the school cafeteria that afternoon.

The Order was founded in Mexico City in 1910 by Marķa del Refugio Aguilar y Torres, who believed it was essential to provide a Christian education for children and youth. She did this in spite of the hardships enforced on her during the presidency of Plutarco Elias Calles, who initiated war against the Church. She also provided food, clothing and housing for orphand girls.

The Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament are now more than 700 consecrated women who strive in eleven countries to extend their Eucharistic Mercedarian spirit of adoration and praise to Jesus in the Eucharist, and filial love and devotion to Our Lady of Mercy, Mother of the Redeemer.