Cathy Kent

"Not surprisingly, our main focus is to develop Native American leadership," says Cathy Kent, a member of the Missions Team."Needless to say, this parish is experienced in empowering of the laity to keep Catholicism and the Eucharist alive on the reservation."

Kent first served on the reservation from 1982 to 1991, returning last July to again join the San Solano team as a pastoral minister.In the 1980's, there were seven priests, several sisters and seven Catholic schools.Today two priests, four sisters, two Tohono O'odham lay leaders and Kent form the evangelization team.
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"We are going back to the domestic roots of the early church where the leaders are coming from the community," Kent explained.The lay ministers also do sacramental preparation, visit the sick and the jails, do wakes and funerals.

Co-mentors Marianne Ruiz and Cathy Kent.
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Marianne Ruiz has been on the pastoral staff in Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Sells for 13 years, recruited by Kent in 1989.
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"There's a richness of cultures that needs to be shared - in the beauty of the desert," Kent said.
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Kent, who grew up in Tucson, was a member of the Eucharistic Missionaries of St. Dominics for 25 years.After her first tour on the reservation, she worked for the Diocese in the archives department.From 1992 to 1996, she was the adult education director at St. Pius X, then spent two years at Fordham University in New York earning her master's degree in religious education and pastoral counseling.She returned to Tucson as director of family ministry at Rincon Congregational Church.

Last April, Kent gave one of the greatest gifts humanly possible - she donated one of her kidneys to a desperately ill co-worker at Rincon Congregational.

"I just offered and I turned out to be a perfect match," she said.