Mónica Astorga Cremona

Reverend Mother

Sister Mónica Astorga Cremona

OCD
ChurchMonastery of Santa Cruz and San José de Neuquén
Term ended2021
Personal details
BornAstorga Cremona
1967 (age 58–59)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
DenominationRoman Catholic
OccupationNun

Sister Mónica Astorga Cremona OCD (born Astorga Cremona in 1967) is an Argentine activist for trans women and former Catholic nun in the Order of the Discalced Carmelites. She was the prioress of the Monastery of Santa Cruz and San José de Neuquén, a cloistered monastery in Neuquén, before being forced out of that role due to her work helping transgender women.

Cremona is the founder of Costa Limay Sustainable Complex for Transgender Women, an affordable housing community. She also runs programs to help transgender women find employment. Cremona has received recognition for her advocacy work from Pope Francis.

Biography

Cremona was born in 1967 in Buenos Aires.[1] She joined the Discalced Carmelites when she was twenty years old, and later served as the prioress of her convent.[1] Upon joining the Carmelites, she began working with young drug and alcohol addicts and ministered to the region's incarcerated people.[1][2]

Since 2006, Cremona has been active in working with members of the transgender community in Neuquén.[1] She started programs to encourage transgender women who are struggling addiction to overcome it and has helped some who worked as prostitutes to leave the sex trade and find other employment by teaching them other trades.[1] She received support from Bishop Marcelo Angiolo Melani and Bishop Virginio Domingo Bressanelli for her work.[2]

In 2020, Cremona founded the Costa Limay Sustainable Complex for Transgender Women, an afforable housing project for impoverished transgender women.[1][3] Costa Limay is the first permanent residence in the world to be dedicated to transgender people.[4] The complex, which is a two-story building with twelve studio apartments, was formally inaugurated on 10 August 2020 in a ceremony attended by Governor Omar Gutiérrez and Mayor Mariano Gaido.[1][5] It was built on land in the Confluencia neighborhood that was donated to Cremona's monastery by the local district and the project was funded by the local provincial government, having been built by the Provincial Institute of Housing and Urban Development and costing about around 27.6 million pesos (around $300,000).[1] The complex includes a large park used as a vegetable garden and recreational space.[1] The housing program allows the women to live in the complex for life without having to pay rent.[1]

Cremona wrote to Pope Francis, with whom she was friends with during his tenure as Archbishop of Buenos Aires,[2] to inform him about the inauguration of the new housing complex, to which the pope replied, "God, who did not go to the seminary or study theology, will repay you abundantly" and said "May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin guide you."[1][6] The pope also told Cremona that he is praying for her and the transgender women she assists, and asked that she, "don't forget to pray for me".[1] Cremona has been referred to as "the nun of the trans" due to her work within the community.[1][7]

In July 2022, when interviewed by the Jesuit James J. Martin for Outreach, Cremona said: "Transgender people existed before any ideology. If it difficult to judge the foundational experiences [of trans people]. Yes, I can say from my experience that the best thing is to know their lives, their sufferings and their joy. My invitation is to love like Jesus, not to judge."[8]

At the end of 2020, Bishop Fernando Croxatto visited the monastery for an investigation and in early 2021 gave the feedback that Cremona's work working with the trans women was not appropriate for her job, ultimately leading to her resigning.[9] After transferring to a monastery in Córdoba, where she met similar discrimination because of her social work,[9] she moved to Buenos Aires where she continues her work on supporting those in need.[10] In 2024, the Vatican accepted her removal from the Order of the Discalced Carmelites.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Pope tells nun helping transgender women, 'God will repay you'". Crux. 18 August 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Nun ministering to transgender women gets thumbs-up from Pope". Crux. 25 July 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  3. ^ Cairns, Madoc (18 August 2020). "Pope sends message of support to nun working with trans people". The Tablet. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  4. ^ Giangravé, Claire (25 August 2020). "Pope Francis encourages nun helping trans community in Argentina". Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Mónica Astorga Cremona: "Las trans son las descartadas de la sociedad"". ABChoy.com.ar. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  6. ^ Robert Shine (20 August 2020). "In New Letter, Pope Francis Again Affirms Nun's Ministry to Transgender Women". New Ways Ministry. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  7. ^ "First trans neighborhood in Argentina: initiative of a nun". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  8. ^ Cremona, Sister Mónica Astorga (6 July 2022). "Argentinian nun who ministers to transgender people with support of Pope Francis: "I keep a record of deaths."". Outreach. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Mónica Astorga, the "trans nun," left the Church but not solidarity". Agencia Presentes. 23 April 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  10. ^ "BBC Audio | Outlook | I was a nun, the late Pope helped me support trans women". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  11. ^ "Mónica Astorga, la argentina que se hizo conocida por ser "la monja de las trans" (y se vio forzada a abandonar el hábito por ello)". BBC News Mundo (in Spanish). 22 January 2026. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B3nica_Astorga_Cremona