July 20, 2016
With heavy hearts, The Catholic University of America mourns the passing of Carmen Hernández, co-founder of the Neocatechumenal Way. Following the words of the Good Master, Hernández spent her life going out to the highways and the hedges to bring people back to the Lord’s banquet.
To the socially marginalized, Hernández brought the good news that Christ loved them and that no one is beyond God’s mercy. Through contact with parishes, embracing people in challenging circumstances, little by little a way of Christian initiation was begun for adults rediscovering the richness of their baptism. Today, the Neocatechumenal Way serves the Church in more than 110 countries on six continents with more than 30,000 communities.
In 2015 The Catholic University of America was proud to award Hernández an honorary doctorate in theology for her devotion to the poor and service to the Church. We pray for the repose of Carmen Hernández’s soul and the consolation of her friends and family. We pray that God will continue to bless the work of the Neocatechumenal Way.