My name is Sophia Cisneros, my life has been a journey that has taken many different paths some up some down.  As I walked this path of life the further I went the stronger my faith has become.  It didn’t start that way.  I was raised in a challenging family, my mother had a drinking problem and my father was a gambler.  My early family life had me moving from Chicago to a farm in Wisconsin then California and ultimately I made Detroit my home.  In my childhood we only attended church services on Greek Easter.  I did receive the sacraments of Baptism, and Confirmation in the Greek Church but in grade school I attended a catholic boarding school where I received the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.

I was living on my own by age 16 and found myself pregnant and not married.  My parents wanted me to abort or give the baby up for adoption. I was strongly opposed to this, with no support from my family, I wanted to do the right thing so I married the father.  My son Joseph was born and by the time he was two years old I was divorced and alone again.  Living in California at that time, I eventually relocated to Detroit after a few months back in Wisconsin.  

As I sat in Mass one Easter Sunday in the 60’s the priest, in his homily “called out” all the Catholics who only attended on Christmas and Easter and told us to get ourselves together.  That was the start of my resurrection.  I went to the tribunal office downtown and had my marriage annulled.  After the annulment my son would attend Mass with me, I didn’t go to communion and he asked me why.  I didn’t answer but the reason was I had not gone to confession for many years.  I decided to rectify this, I went to confession and could then fully participate in the Mass.  

I began attending Mass on Sundays at St. Aloysius, the pastor Fr. Ward had started a ministry to provide shelter for at risk women living and working on the streets of Detroit called Heartline.  I saw an article in the bulletin asking for volunteers to work in the program and decided to join.  I began by answering the phone at one of the eight homes in Detroit. Soon after I was taking the girls on outings to social events such as the circus, out to dinner, doing things like a family.  As I continued to volunteer I met a wonderful IHM Sister named Sr. Rita Geller.  Sr Geller had a special compassion for the women on the street. She would go to court and sit in on the hearings trying to get first time offenders released to her care.  She then brought them to Heartline providing a home and work to help them not only believe in their self-worth but also provided them with food shelter and training to become self-sufficient women. This was a very successful program to the point where we did not have enough housing for all those that needed help.  Sr Rita asked if I could open my home to some of the girls. Over the next 4 years I had 20 young women between the ages of 17 and 23 live with me.  I was able to provide food and shelter as well as employment.  At the time I was working at Cobo Hall in their banquet services and could hire the girls part time to work at the events.

One of the young women suggested I become a foster mother so I applied for the license and over the next 1 ½ years I provided a home to 5 additional teenage girls.  

Over the next 30 years I continued my volunteer work and to this day I am still involved with Heartline.  My volunteer work began to focus more on the homeless.  Although many of these people had challenges of addictions they also were talented and just needed someone to encourage them, and recognize their value.

In 1995 I was at Mass at St Peter and Paul in Detroit, I found a pamphlet in the back of the church that asked the question why should I go to Mass every day?

In the article St Teresa asked our Lord “How can I thank you?” our Lord replied attend one Mass. That statement struck me.  I have so much to be thankful for.  I am sure that God was always watching over me.  I was able to raise my son give him a good solid education.  I was blessed with finding a job that would provide me with a steady income, and through a handful of serious medical challenges God was always by my side.  I decided then that I would attend Mass daily.  Eventually I was drawn to further study and I began the coursework to become a Third Order Franciscan. 

Today at 81 I proudly continue the practice of daily Mass and prayer.  I am still working full time and my work with Heartline and the homeless is still part of my routine.  I have been a member of the rosary group here at St Clare for 24 years. 

My life is full of stories, but the most important one is that I found Jesus and have made him the center of what I do.  I am forever grateful to that priest on Easter Sunday for the wakeup call back in the 60’s.