Sister Norma Pimentel

Norma Pimentel: And so my plans was... My professional. I loved my art and I knew I had a big talent, and I was really looking forward to conquering the world, you know? And so he disagreed. So I had to kind of redefine myself as to how do I get out with my father's permission. So I decided, 'Well, I'll just go back to school." So I applied to Austin and to go to school there and get another degree, and the same time, I'm away from the house. I start exploring my job, professional career.

Norma Pimentel: In the process of doing that, well, God had other plans for me. Little did I know that he had an eye on me. And so I get tired of not going out because I... Because if I going out, my dad would get upset if I go out with my friends. And so there was just one girl he liked all the time because she was a very churchgoer. And I liked her, too. So, and she still is a friend of mine to this day, and so call her up. And I said, "What are you doing tonight, Linda?" And she said, "We're going to a prayer group, Norma." And I go, "What are you doing after the prayer group?" So she says, "We're going to Pizza Hut." "Perfect. Come pick me up after the prayer group." I was like, pizza, I love pizza. So I said, "Yeah, great." And she said, "No, Norma, you got to come to the prayer group because we can't go and then come back for you and then go again. So you're stuck. You have to come to the prayer group." So I did.

Norma Pimentel: That's when things changed for me because I was really like... I go to the prayer group. She says, "Sit in the back, before you know it's over, and we'll go out to the Pizza Hut." Well, I sat at the back, and I was kind of like.. I was really like, it was during the charismatic movement where everybody kind of Hallelujah and spills all their guts of all the bad things they ever done in their life, and praise God because he saved them and whatever. And I was like, "Wow, these people, you know?" So at the end of the prayer group, they made a circle with chairs so people could pray over you. And Linda said, "Sit in the circle, Norma. We can pray for you." Okay. My head hurts. Maybe it'll go away. So sure enough, something happened when all these old ladies put their hands over me and everybody else and they just prayed. And I felt something changed in me. I felt a presence that completely changed me. And my headache was gone. But what I felt, it's hard to explain in words that I just was so intrigued with myself to want to continue going to that prayer group. And I went to that prayer group, and I went to that prayer group, and I wanted to read the Bible, sing songs. And tanto que, my mom says, "Y que te vás a monja?" Okay. You know, "You're so involved with the church now." So if I am, what? And I did. Soon after that, the sisters invited me to a retreat to consider religious life, and I had no clue what that meant. But I said, "Sure!" And I made a decision to enter religious life, because if it's anything what I'm feeling right now, more of it, I definitely think I should and I will definitely go in. And I did. And so my life changed 180 degrees. I was going in one direction and all of a sudden I entered religion. My dad said, "No, Norma, please don't go in there. Please, please, please." "No, Dad, this is where I know you're wrong, because God is above you.

Norma Pimentel: The sisters were very committed to service to the poor. They were very different from most religious sisters that were here in the United States or Mexico. They came from Spain. And they were the kind of sisters that would go visit the barrio, and talk to the families, and help the mothers take care of their financial situation. Because they knew. They said, "What is your problem and how do you deal with your kids and how do...?" And they were just very committed and helping them financially to make things. Fill out applications for them. They were like social workers, case workers, on the homes. And they would go speak to whoever they needed to on behalf of them. They were attorneys, social workers. They were everything for the community, for the families. Very quietly, they just got to know everybody. And then also at the same time, when I entered, they were also receiving the immigrants, the mothers and children that Border Patrol just didn't have a space for them. Because back then there was really a detention facility just for men. They didn't know what to do with the women and children, and so they would call Sister Juliana, and they says, "Can we take you this mother with this kid to the convent?" And so they would. And at any time of the day or night. And there would always be, since the day I entered, a family that lived with us. They were part of our community life. Sister Juliana modeled for me the type of person that we must be in the community, to serve and care for our people. And that's how I became what I am today.

Norma Pimentel: And so there I was with Sister Ninfa, kind of like making sure that the families, it was a very small home and we had thousands of people that were just there because there was no other place to go. The people back then... Border Patrol was having a hard time. They didn't apprehend people like they do now. It's like every person that crosses gets apprehended and processed and deported or... Right now, it's a very tight surveillance. Back then, it was like you crossed and you ended up at our house, and maybe then walked through the [inaudible], continue walking. And at some point you were just... At that point, that's where Border Patrol was more focused. The real border was Kingsville area. At that point, anyone attempting to cross into, enter into the United States, it was not until you entered further in, like at the Sarita checkpoint, that you were actually detected. And you were apprehended, and you were processed, and put in detention, things like that. Not so much at the border. Because so many people ended up at our house without being detained by Border Patrol. Now people are brought to us by Border Patrol. But back then, it was after they crossed and they were with us then after that. Then the Border Patrol doesn't really get involved with anything with the church. They wanted to respect the church spaces, the sanctuaries. And so they didn't want to get upset with the community. They felt, "Oh monjas... We get involved and start detaining we might run into the community not supporting us because we're messing with monjitas." And so I think that's why they stayed away. But for sure, they would patrol. And anyone that left from after they were with us, at some point would get apprehended and detained or whatever. But that was the time where we had so many people everywhere. And it was...