Archbishop José H. Gomez delivered keynote address and blessed the first group of 111 adult men and women who successfully completed the “Maestro En Casa” program fostering immigrant integration into American society. The graduation ceremony was celebrated on June 10 at Immaculate Conception Parish in Los Angeles.

The 10 week, 40 hour program, created and developed by the San Antonio based organization Mexican and Americans Thinking Together (MATT), fosters immigrant integration through English classes and lessons to help adult students navigate through the U.S. education, financial and health systems.

“The Catholic Schools Collaborative’s successful implementation of Maestro En Casa in 11 of our Los Angeles school communities during the current 2016-2017 school year is a great blessing to our Archdiocesan community,” said Archbishop Gomez. “We eagerly anticipate Catholic Schools Collaborative expansion to 50 school communities in the upcoming 2017-2018 school year.”

Pilot implementation of the adult immigrant education and empowerment program started in 2016 at 11 Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, in partnership with the Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Collaborative, which funds and manages the program locally. There are plans to expand the program to 50 more Catholic schools for the upcoming school year. Students include parents of children attending the schools and members of the parish and local community.

Dr. Anthony J. Galla, Ed. D., deputy superintendent of elementary schools for the Archdiocese, and Aracely Garcia-Granados, executive director for MATT, who joined from San Antonio, Texas also addressed the inaugural graduation class.

“The Catholic Schools Collaborative is honored to work in partnership with the Los Angeles Archdiocese and the Department of Catholic Schools to bring Maestro En Casa to our inner-city school communities,” said Ellen Holton, executive director of the Catholic Schools Collaborative. “We believe in strong, healthy communities and this immigrant integration and empowerment program reveals agency and builds social capital that all people deserve to embrace.”

Archdiocesan Catholic schools offering the “Maestro En Casa” program include: Ascension School, Immaculate Conception School, Nativity School, St. Aloysius School, St. Columbkille School, St. Frances X Cabrini School, St. Lawrence Brindisi School, St. Michael’s School, St. Odilia School, St. Raphael School and St. Turibius School.

For more information about the Catholic Schools Collaborative and Maestro En Casa program, please visit www.csclosangeles.org.