The RFC is delighted that Sister Norma Pimentel, MJ and Father Bryan Massingale will offer keynote presentations!
Sister Norma Pimentel, as Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, oversees the charitable arm of the Diocese of Brownsville, providing oversight of the different ministries and programs in the areas of emergency assistance, housing assistance, military assistance, clinical counseling, pregnancy care, and was instrumental in quickly organizing community resources to respond to the surge of Central Americans seeking asylum in the United States and setting up the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, TX. Sister Norma received her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from Pan American University in Edinburg, TX; a Master’s Degree in Theology from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, TX; and a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Loyola University in Chicago, IL.
Father Bryan Massingale (at right) is a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. He completed his formal education in Rome at the pontifical institute for moral theology, earning the degree, Doctor of Moral Theology, “summa cum laude.” His current writing projects explore the contributions of Black radicalism to Catholic theology and the intersections of race, sexuality, and faith. He currently is the James and Nancy Buckman Professor of Theological and Social Ethics at Fordham University and Senior Fellow in its Center for Ethics Education. Prior to his recent appointment at Fordham, he was Professor of Theology at Marquette University (Milwaukee), where in 2009 he received that institution’s highest award for excellence in teaching. A leader in Catholic theology, he is a former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America and a past Convener of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium.