[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 14355-14356]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING MERCY SISTERS ON 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF CASA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HENRY CUELLAR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 8, 2008

  Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Sisters of 
Mercy on the 10th anniversary of their establishment of Casa de 
Misericordia (CASA), a shelter that provides safety, planning, 
education, and support for victims of domestic violence and their 
children.
  In 1997, Sister Rosemary Welsh and her staff of health care providers 
from Mercy Primary Health Care Programs recognized the lack of existing 
community support for victims of domestic violence and their children 
in Laredo, Texas. A starting grant and local community support enabled 
them to open the doors of Casa de Misericordia. The shelter provides 
court accompaniment, assistance with VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) 
applications, and takes in victims of domestic violence and their 
children, not just from Webb County, but from other counties and states 
as well.
  CASA obtained independent non-profit status by becoming a 501(c)3 in 
1999, and became an annual contracting agency with the State (TDHS) in 
2001. CASA received funds from the United Way and from the Office of 
the Attorney General. It is due to the efforts of Sisters of Mercy and 
to the hardworking staff that CASA has been able to help thousands of 
victims of domestic violence and their children. CASA is committed to 
involving the community in changing the perception of domestic 
violence, and has dozens of volunteers from Laredo Community College, 
Texas A&M International University, and local high schools in raising 
awareness about the mission behind CASA through the new Lamar Bruni 
Vergara Education Center, which was opened in 2004. The Education 
Center provide counseling, support groups, educational classes, and 
summer activities to members of the community who suffer from domestic 
violence but do not need shelter services.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the 
dedication of Sister Rosemary Welsh and the Sisters of Mercy, and their 
staff, on the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Laredo's only 
domestic violence shelter, Casa de Misericordia.

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