Encarnación Padilla de Armas facts for kids

Encarnación Padilla de Armas (born around 1909, died August 1992) was an important leader. She helped and organized Spanish-speaking communities. She worked in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United States. Many people see her as the first Latina to reach a national leadership role in the Catholic Church.

Early Life and Education

Encarnación Padilla de Armas was born in Puerto Rico. She grew up in a Catholic family. Her father helped the church with missionary work. Her mother was part of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.

When she was young, the Sisters of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity noticed her. Father Thomas Augustine Judge, who started the women's part of this group, thought she should join them. He wanted her to dedicate her life to serving the church. At that time, Father Judge was encouraging people to do public service as regular members, not just as priests or nuns.

Padilla de Armas was placed in the care of the Sisters. This might have been because of money issues or her family's strong connection to the Holy Trinity. She did not go to a regular college at first. Soon after, Father Judge sent her to the Holy Trinity headquarters in Brooklyn. There, she could meet people and see their public service work. Later, she earned a bachelor's degree. She also received an honorary doctorate from Fordham University.

Padilla de Armas returned to Puerto Rico. She later moved to Havana, Cuba. In Cuba, she earned a doctorate in law. She also got married and had a son named Ramon Bosch. Her husband passed away in 1945. After that, she moved back to the United States. She settled in New York City with her son. She had only $150 at the time.

Leading the Community

Padilla de Armas worked hard to help the Puerto Rican community in New York. She asked the Catholic Church and other religious groups to offer more services. She wanted them to hold services in Spanish. She also wanted Puerto Rican people to have leadership roles in the church.

In 1951, she gathered a group of women. They wrote a report about the religious needs of Puerto Ricans in the city. This report helped get the attention of the Archdiocese of New York. Two years later, the Spanish Catholic Action office was created because of their work.

Later, she worked with the First National Hispanic Encuentro in 1972. An Encuentro is a meeting or gathering. During this time, Padilla de Armas taught priests about Puerto Rican language and culture. She helped them better understand and serve the community.