Sister Teresa Maya is a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio, Texas. Sister Teresa has had a lifelong love for learning that can probably be traced back to her youth when she was taught by the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose. Through her ministry of education, she continued to share this love as a teacher, history professor and administrator. She has a passion for the formation for ministry in every area. Sister Tere believes that formation is one of the best ways to prepare for the future.
Sister Teresa earned her BA at Yale, her MA at the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley and her PhD in El Colegio de Mexico in Mexico City.
In 2008, she was elected to leadership in her religious community. She served as councilor and then as congregational Leader. Her Incarnate Word Sisters inspire her conviction in the future of consecrated life.
In 2016, Sister Teresa was elected to the presidency of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. She brought her conviction that women religious need to build bridges to her time with LCWR. Sister Tere has continued to encourage welcoming diversity in the United States and the intentional formation around interculturality.
Sister Teresa’s energy as a presenter has given her the opportunity to contribute to ongoing formation in our Church when addressing a wide range of audiences. She has spoken to conferences of religious in different countries, as well as religious communities. She participated in the Religious Education Congress in LA. She also offered her insights to the Union of International Superior Generals (UISG), the Conference of Religious of Latin America (CLAR), and the Dominican Sisters International. In 2019, she was invited to address the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) and challenged our brother bishops to a Culture of Encuentro. Her journey with so many groups has made her an “itinerant preacher.” Ongoing formation is her way of life.
Recently, Sister Teresa has accepted a position with the Catholic Health Association, collaborating with the ongoing formation of Sponsors for Catholic Healthcare.
Sister Teresa is, first and foremost, a sister to the sisters, a believer in the importance of formation to make the future possible. She is an educator walking the path that is committed to intercultural dialogue and the need for Encuentro in our lives. She trusts what God is doing in religious life and celebrates hope as a gift of communion.