Year Honored: 2010

1931 - 2019

Born in: Spain

Biography

Sister Ascension Banegas, a member of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity, spent 20 years in service to the Latino Community of Georgetown. Sister Banegas, alongside Sister Rosa Álvarez and Sister María Mairlot, founded La Esperanza Community Center in Georgetown. In the 1990’s, the three nuns, originally from Spain, arrived to help the groups of immigrants coming tp Delaware to find work at the poultry plants. The nuns “began helping new arrivals find affordable housing, connecting pregnant women with prenatal care services, and intervening on behalf of domestic abuse victims.”

They also helped to establish the Primeros Pasos childcare center, La Casita, La Red Health Center and El Centro Cultural, with the goal of helping immigrants assimilate into their new community. Illeana Smith, a member of the La Esperanza board, said, “Their work has lifted spirits and transformed lives. We want to honor the sisters' many accomplishments and ensure their important humanitarian work continues in the area.”
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Sources and Additional Readings

La Esperanza honors Carmelite sisters. Cape Gazette. (1970, January 1). Retrieved January 19, 2022, from https://www.capegazette.com/article/la-esperanza-honors-carmelite-sisters/140311