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Sor Sor may refer to: * Fernando Sor (1778–1839), Spanish guitarist and composer * Sor, Ariège, a French commune * SOR Libchavy, a Czech bus manufacturer * Sor, Azerbaijan, a village * Sor, Senegal, an offshore island * Sor River, a river in th ...
'' Isolina Ferré Aguayo (5 September 1914 – 3 August 2000) was a Puerto Rican
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
religious sister. Known as the "Mother Teresa of Puerto Rico", she received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merit ...
in recognition of her humanitarian work. Ferré Aguayo was born in Ponce to a wealthy family. She was one of six siblings, Jose, Carlos, Hernan,
Rosario Rosario () is the largest city in the central Argentine province of Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous city in the country, and is also the most p ...
and Luis,
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
's former governor. When she was 21, Ferré traveled to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
where she commenced her
novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...
. After five years, she completed the
solemn vows A solemn vow is a certain vow ("a deliberate and free promise made to God about a possible and better good") taken by an individual during or after novitiate in a Catholic religious institute. It is solemn insofar as the Church recognizes it a ...
. As part of her religious work, Ferré traveled back and forth between Puerto Rico and the United States, serving as an
abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Copt ...
in Cabo Rojo and
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. During this time frame, she attended various universities in the United States, studying sociology and arts. After working as a member of
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
's Committee Against Poverty, to which she was appointed by Mayor
John Lindsay John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, mayor of New York City, and candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regular ...
, Ferré decided in 1969, to set her permanent residence in Ponce, specifically in the low-income sector of '' La Playa''. There she founded a small hospital and a school/resource center named ''Centro de Orientación y Servicios de La Playa de Ponce''. The school/resource center would later become ''Centros Sor Isolina Ferré'' and opened numerous outlets throughout Puerto Rico at large. Ferré Aguayo is a member of Mu Alpha Phi sorority.


Early life

Ferré was born in
Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government. Ponce, Puerto Rico's most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, was founded on 12 August 1 ...
, to Antonio Ferré and Mary Aguayo. Born into a wealthy family of recent European background, she was one of six children. Her siblings included Luis, José, Carlos, Rosario, and Hermán Ferré.Mendoza et al. Throughout the years, the Ferré family owned several companies in Puerto Rico, ranging from
factories A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. T ...
to
newspapers A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, spor ...
. However, she was inclined towards a religious life from a young age. Her father was
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, but left the church when, at the request of a dying friend, he joined the
Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
.Ramos et al., p.43 The other members of the family attended a church named ''Iglesia de la Monserrate'' located in
Hormigueros Hormigueros (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the western region of the island, northeast of Cabo Rojo; northwest of San Germán; and south of Mayagüez. Hormigueros is spread over 5 barrios and Hormigueros Pueblo ...
. Her mother used to spend her time in benevolent activities, often donating toys to orphaned children.Ramos et al., p.45-46 Her mother contracted
Filaria ''Filaria'' is a genus of nematodes belonging to the family Filariidae. The genus has cosmopolitan distribution. Species: *''Filaria acutiuscula'' *''Filaria bufonis'' *''Filaria loliginis'' *''Filaria martis'' *''Filaria piscium'' *''Fil ...
, which limited her social and personal activities, therefore Saro, Ferré's older sister, became responsible for the upbringing of the younger children. When she was three years old, Ferré entered a religious school named ''Colegio de las Madres del Sagrado Corazón'', where she became interested in the habits practiced by the nuns. Ferré traveled throughout Ponce with some of the family's employees, becoming familiar with the neighborhoods and their inhabitants.Ramos et al., p.50-53 When she was young, Ferré believed that poverty was a voluntary economic state of being however, during her adolescence she realized that it wasn't so and that she was wrong in her way of thinking.Ramos et al., p.54-55 During this timeframe she practiced tennis and cycling, and taught
Catechism A catechism (; from grc, κατηχέω, "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adul ...
.Ramos et al., p.64


Religious career


Novitiate

When she was sixteen years old, Ferré enrolled at the
University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico ( es, Universidad de Puerto Rico, UPR) is the main public university system in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a government-owned corporation with 11 campuses and approximately 58,000 students and ...
's campus in
Río Piedras Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for " river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, ...
. She subsequently moved to the ''Orden De Las Siervas Misioneras De La Santisima Trinidad'' (Congregation Of The Missionary Servants Of The Most Blessed Trinity, MSBT), where she resided while studying. While in the university, Ferré developed an interest in opera and literature. She continued practicing tennis, eventually practicing with
Rebekah Colberg Dr. Rebekah Colberg Cabrera (December 25, 1918 – July 8, 1985),Dates of birth and death were provided and confirmed by thPuerto Rico Olympic CommitteeAugust 24, 2010 was a Puerto Rican athlete, who was known as "The Mother of Women' ...
. Shortly after completing her first semester, Ferré returned to her home, where she was informed that her mother was in critical condition. Her mother died the next morning, moments after her son Luis arrived from the United States. Ferré resumed her studies with intensity and during this time she also worked and played tennis. Her health was affected because of her strenuous activities and after she went to her doctor and had a radiology done, she was told that she had damage in her lungs and was recommended that she take one year of rest.Ramos et al., p.66 The condition worsened and she moved to Adjuntas briefly, until the symptoms completely disappeared one month later. Jose Ferré (her brother) became a member of
Luis Muñoz Marín José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín (February 18, 1898April 30, 1980) was a Puerto Rican journalist, politician, statesman and was the first elected governor of Puerto Rico, regarded as the "Architect of the Puerto Rico Commonwealth." In 1948 he ...
's government. He told her about the details of
Operation Bootstrap Operation Bootstrap ( es, Operación Manos a la Obra) is the name given to a series of projects which transformed the economy of Puerto Rico into an industrial and developed one. The federal government of the United States together with what i ...
and Operation Serenity.Ramos et al., p.67 Interested in this second project, she organized a group of delivery boys and shoe shiners and founded a candy distribution system. Ferré and some friends also preached to workers in sugar plantations, often visiting their houses in the evening.Ramos et al., p.69 She left her family's house to join a convent shortly after her 21st birthday, after receiving permission from her father.Ramos et al., p.60 Before entering the convent, she decided to swear a chastity vow. After arriving in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
, she spent her first year involved in a series of religious activities, including some "spiritual exercises" where she was only allowed to speak in the
confessional A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall in which the priest in some Christian churches sits to hear the confessions of penitents. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Churches, but s ...
.Ramos et al., p.82 Her first mission took place in the small town of
Norton, Virginia Norton is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, located in the far western tip of the state in Wise County, Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,687, making it the least populous city in Virginia. The Bureau of E ...
. There she met with the priest of a community of Polish miners and together they performed a series of domestic labors.Ramos et al., p.83 She continued working on other missions, receiving occasional visits from her siblings. She eventually joined a Novitiate in New York City. In this convent, she was one of the few
novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience. Religion Buddhism ...
s that knew how to drive an automobile and served as the convent's driver.Ramos et al., p.92 While in New York, Ferré felt symptoms of
appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a r ...
, and was rushed to a Philadelphia hospital.


Work as a nun and Mother Superior

Five years after serving in the missions, Ferrer swore the
solemn vows A solemn vow is a certain vow ("a deliberate and free promise made to God about a possible and better good") taken by an individual during or after novitiate in a Catholic religious institute. It is solemn insofar as the Church recognizes it a ...
.Ramos et al., p.93 She was subsequently transferred from
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...
to Cabo Rojo per request of Ponce's Bishop. Upon arriving, she was received by a procession. As part of this mission, She and the nuns organized baseball teams and sewing schools.Ramos et al., p.101-102 She continued working in this convent for 11 years, until she was promoted to
abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Copt ...
. As Mother Superior, Ferré remained in Cabo Rojo for six more years, which is the time limit that a Mother Superior can work within the a mission before receiving another assignment. She was then sent to
Hato Rey Hato Rey is a former barrio located in the northwest part of the dissolved municipality of Río Piedras. It now stretches over three barrios, of the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico: Urban landscape Its name means "king's cattle farm" (' ...
, where she was assigned to a religious school.Ramos et al., p.108 Here she replaced part of the institution's materials with new ones, using part of a savings account created by the previous directory. Shortly after she contracted
Sepsis Sepsis, formerly known as septicemia (septicaemia in British English) or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage is follo ...
, and was removed from the position. Some time later Ferré traveled to
the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...
, where several of the nuns that studied with her in Philadelphia resided. This congregation focused their attention in discouraging street crime. One day, Ferré was forced to dress a gang member in nun's clothing, to confuse the members of a rival gang. Due to her actions, she was promoted to abbess of the convent.Ramos et al., p.121-122 She led the other nuns in an effort to revitalize the city's landscape. New York's governor
Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...
, awarded her the city's "Republican Woman" recognition.Ramos et al., p.127 The community elected her as their official representative in New York's "Committee Against Poverty", but she declined the offer and granted the position to another Puerto Rican resident. She did this because Mayor
John Lindsay John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, mayor of New York City, and candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regular ...
had previously appointed her as his personal representative. Ferré focused her work in promoting education among street gangs. The convent, interested in promoting community acceptance regardless of religion, was originally called "Dr. White Catholic Center" was renamed "Dr. White Center".Ramos et al., p.128 During this timeframe she continued her education, briefly attending Holly Family College and completing her bachelor's degree at St. Joseph's College for Women. After a stint as a teacher in Philadelphia, she was sent back to New York in order to complete and further her studies. Ferré completed a sociology master's degree at
Fordham University Fordham University () is a private Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named after the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its original campus is located, Fordham is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit un ...
, submitting a thesis based in the strengths and weaknesses of Puerto Rican families that faced conditions of discrimination and poverty after migrating to the city.Ramos et al., p.146-147 Her final work in the United States took place in Chicago, where she coached a group of Puerto Rican community leaders.


Founding ''Centros Sor Isolina Ferré''

In 1968, she returned to Barrio La Playa in Ponce where the Ferré family had built a dispensary to treat vesicular conditions.Ramos et al., p.157 She was operated and remained in rest for a month, spending this period visiting adjacent barrios and reading. Ferré then began promoting community restructuring by rehabilitating several buildings with the help of her brother Jose. She was responsible for the opening of a small clinic and school named Centro de Orientacion y Servicios de La Playa de Ponce (Ponce Playa Orientation and Services Center), dedicated to providing educational opportunities, extracurricular activities, and day care services to low-income families. With the cooperation of a
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
reverend, she also founded an industrial sewing school. They also formed a baseball team named ''Las Latas Stars'' and an equestrian club.Ramos et al., p.166 Ferré promoted cultural events, reestablished traditional celebrations and organized activities focused on theatrics, ballet, modeling and sports. Seeking to address a personnel deficiency in nearby petrochemical factories,
Teodoro Moscoso José Teodoro Moscoso Mora
Rico Puerto Rico. Noticel. June 15, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
...
suggested to them the creation of a welding school. The institution was built adjacent to ''
Puerto Rico Iron Works Puerto Rico Iron Works (founded as ''Porto Rico Iron Works'') was a heavy industry iron foundry located in barrio La Playa in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The company was founded in 1918. The foundry "was Puerto Rico's most prolific steel bridge fabri ...
'', a company that belonged to the Ferré family, and which remained active until 1972.Ramos et al., p.172 This initiative was followed by a photography laboratory, which served to illustrate ''El Playero'', a local magazine.Ramos et al., p.175 Ferré and the community of ''La Playa'' designed a proposal to work with juvenile delinquents, by suggesting that they should be placed under custody by their community and that they should be treated with respect instead of as criminals. The program was based in a system designed by Charles Grosser named "Advocacy", eventually becoming known as "Advocacy Puerto Rican Style".Ramos et al., p.177 This method gathered interest from community leaders in the United States, who were interested in establishing similar programs. The program also gathered interest from politicians, to which she suggested the creation of the ''Centro Diagnostico y de Tratamiento de la Playa de Ponce'' (Ponce Playa Diagnostic and Treatment Center). Ferré and the community received a grant of one million dollars to build the institution, which was built in a lot in barrio ''El Ciclón''.Ramos et al., p.178 While attempting to eliminate prostitution, Ferré rented a building which was once used as a bar, opening a technological center at that location.Ramos et al., p.179-180 In 1975, the Center faced some financial losses, following a fire and a flood, when
Hurricane Eloise Hurricane Eloise was the most destructive tropical cyclone of the 1975 Atlantic hurricane season. The fifth tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season, Eloise formed as a tropical depression on September 13 to the ...
passed hit Puerto Rico.Ramos et al., p.181-182 By this time a series of small centers had been founded, as part of an initiative that was denominated "religious urban guerrilla". Due to this the organization's work continued uninterrupted, temporarily moving their operations to a location in an adjacent barrio.Ramos et al., p.225 Ferré established the center's headquarters in a building that used to belong to the employees of her father, which had been renamed ''Dispensario San Antonio'' years earlier. This was donated to a local convent, who turned it into a corporation in 1950.Ramos et al., p.212 Ferré used of her own wealth to created charities not only in Puerto Rico, but in New York City and the
Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, C ...
as well. The community of ''La Playa'' changed the name of the institution from ''Centro de Orientacion de La Playa'' to ''Centros Sister Isolina Ferré'' to honor her memory.Ramos et al., p.181-182
Saatchi & Saatchi Saatchi & Saatchi is a British multinational communications and advertising agency network with 114 offices in 76 countries and over 6,500 staff. It was founded in 1970 and is currently headquartered in London. The parent company of the agency gr ...
, the advertising agency in charge of the center's publicity, subsequently effected the name change.Ramos et al., p.267


Later years, declining health and death

She was elected as a delegate in the "World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women", organized in 1980. When interviewed, Ferré stated that while the organization is run by nuns from the state and donations from the private industry, she tried to keep both of them separated from the church. During the 1980s, most of the funds for ''Centros Sor Isolina Ferré'' were provided by
Rafael Hernández Colón Rafael Hernández Colón (October 24, 1936 – May 2, 2019) was a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1973 to 1977 and 1985 to 1993 for a total of three terms. An experienced politician, Hernández held the ...
, who promoted the establishment of a new center in Caimito, Puerto Rico.Ramos et al., p.233 One day, Ferré decided to intervene in a hostage situation, where two young men were threatening to open fire if the police entered their house. She was able to enter the house and the father confessed that he was responsible for the incident, after he hit one of his sons as punishment.Ramos et al., p.242 The two men used the distraction to escape by jumping to the sea, but went to Ferré's center in search of medical attention. She contacted the police, and convinced them that they would not be arrested if they went to a hospital. This convinced her that the community needed more police attention, eventually employing a
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
ese initiative named Koban.Ramos et al., p.243 Based on this, a group of officers moved to one of the residences that comprised Caimito's center, visiting the other houses on a daily basis. When
Hurricane Hugo Hurricane Hugo was a powerful Cape Verde tropical cyclone that inflicted widespread damage across the northeastern Caribbean and the Southeastern United States in September 1989. Across its track, Hugo affected approximately 2 million peopl ...
struck Puerto Rico, ''Centros Sor Isolina Ferré'' cultivated 10,000 trees in a greenhouse, intending to help the government deal with the deforestation left by the storm. One day,
Mother Teresa Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, MC (; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa ( sq, Nënë Tereza), was an Indian-Albanian Catholic nun who, in 1950, founded the Missionaries of Charity. Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu () was ...
visited Ferré while she was preparing an educational initiative.Ramos et al., p.246 Both nuns discussed theology and social and humanitarian work, coming to the conclusion that while they used different methods, their goal was the same. On the morning of July 22, 1985, Ferré suffered a heart attack. She remained hospitalized for some weeks before undergoing
Cardiac surgery Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to co ...
.Ramos et al., p.261 In 1989, she was selected to receive the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism. By the 1990s, the Centers had created 50 different initiatives, of which 40 proved successful.Ramos et al., p.247 In 1993, Ferré received the Hispanic Heritage Award in the "Education" category. In March of that year, Ferré organized the first International Congress of ''Centros Sor Isolina Ferré'', which focused in community development and youth upbringing. The activity was attended by several religious and political figures.Ramos et al., p.224 That same year, the center also reported that their social programs directed towards juvenile crime had been successful, reducing the frequency of crime in the locations adjacent to the centers by 20 percent.Ramos et al., p.241 Ferré's efforts in ''La Playa'' were written and chronicled in Puerto Rican books and newspapers, as well as the publications of other
Latin American Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-e ...
countries including the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
and
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
. She earned twelve honorary doctorates from diverse educational institutions, and more than 64 organizations awarded her recognitions.Ramos et al., p.230 Her work was recognized by President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...
who awarded her the
Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merit ...
at a ceremony in the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
, an honor previously also bestowed upon her brother Luis A. Ferré. In early 2000, Ferré began experiencing some health problems, but her health improved somewhat that July. However shortly after that she began experiencing respiratory problems and was hospitalized at the '' Hospital de Damas'' in Ponce. Ferré died on August 3, 2000, shortly before her 86th birthday. By then she had provided over half a century of public service. Her body was buried in ''Las Mercedes'' cemetery. After Ferré's death, the Centers which she founded continued to operate under the direction of José Díaz Coto. With help from Puerto Rico's Department of Family and the Department of Justice, preventive programs have been added to the Centers offerings. On May 16, 2008, the institution reported a reduction of 2% in juvenile delinquency in sectors adjacent to its Centers in Ponce. Her contributions in
civic duty Civic engagement or civic participation is any individual or group activity addressing issues of public concern. Civic engagement includes communities working together or individuals working alone in both political and non-political actions to ...
are also recognized at the Park for the Illustrious Ponce Citizens in her hometown of Ponce. On May 29, 2014, the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico honored 12 illustrious women with plaques in the "La Plaza en Honor a la Mujer Puertorriqueña" (Plaza in Honor of Puerto Rican Women) in San Juan. According to the plaques the following 12 women, who by virtue of their merits and legacies, stand out in the history of Puerto Rico. On May 29, 2014, The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico honored 12 illustrious women with plaques in the "La Plaza en Honor a la Mujer Puertorriqueña" (Plaza in Honor of Puerto Rican Women) in San Juan. According to the plaques the 12 women, who by virtue of their merits and legacies, stand out in the history of Puerto Rico. Ferre was among those who were honored.La Mujer en nuestra historia
/ref>


See also

* List of Puerto Ricans *
Roman Catholicism in Puerto Rico The Catholic Church in Puerto Rico is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Pope in Rome. The 78 municipalities in Puerto Rico have a Catholic Church which is located in the downtown area, normally across from the central pl ...
* List of Puerto Rican Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients *
History of women in Puerto Rico The recorded history of Puerto Rican women can trace its roots back to the era of the ''Taíno'', the indigenous people of the Caribbean, who inhabited the island that they called "Boriken" before the arrival of Spaniards. During the Spanish c ...


References


Footnotes


Bibliography

* *


External links


Centros Sor Isolina Ferré
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferre, Isolina 1914 births 2000 deaths Burials at Cementerio Las Mercedes Clergy from Ponce Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Puerto Rican Roman Catholic religious sisters and nuns Roman Catholic abbesses Puerto Rican people of Catalan descent 20th-century American Roman Catholic nuns Philanthropists from Ponce 20th-century American philanthropists