Texas Mission Council

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Awanda Marie Whitworth

Awanda Marie Whitworth died on Palm Sunday, March 2, 2010 from complications following open heart surgery, at the age of 70.

The oldest of twelve children, Awanda was the daughter of William E. and Irene Underbrink Cumberland, of Kleberg County, Texas. She is survived by her devoted husband of 49 years, Charles Whitworth, their six children, 20 grandchildren, and her eleven siblings, among them, Rev. Robert Cumberland, of the Diocese of Saltillo, Mexico.

Awanda Whitworth was a 1961 graduate of Texas A&M in Kingsville, Texas, where she met her husband Charles while she was president of the Neumann Club. After teaching elementary school in Mathis, Texas, she followed her husband to Grand Prairie. TX, Birmingham, AL and finally to Houston TX in 1964. Here she taught religious education at Holy Ghost and St. Ambrose parishes. In the early 1990’s, Awanda joined the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston as Director of Religious Education at St. Maximilian Church. She later worked for the Social Concerns Secretariat, heading the Parish Social Ministry and Catholic Campaign for Human Development Office.

In 1997, she joined the Maryknoll Mission Team in Houston, where she began her involvement in mission. A member of the Archdiocesan Mission Council since its inception, she collaborated diligently with the Education Committee. At the state level, she served for many years with enthusiasm and dedication on the Texas Mission Council in different leadership capacities, including chairperson. She was the acting secretary at the time of her death.

Social justice was a life-long commitment for Awanda. She was active with the Inter-Ethnic Forum and the Houston Immigration and Refugee Coalition. She initiated the Teen Summit for Race Relations, bringing together hundreds of high school students each year with the purpose of fostering greater racial understanding. Awanda was a member of the board of the Houston Peace and Justice Center, creating the Ecology Committee. Together with her husband Charles, she volunteered on a regular basis at the Houston Catholic Worker, also helping to get houses for immigrants started in Guatemala.

Whether taking her children on mission trips to Mexico or organizing Peace Camps for her grandchildren to teach them about peaceful conflict resolution, Awanda exemplified her values and character for the benefit of her family.

Another facet of her life of service was her ministry to homeless and abused women. Supporting the efforts of the Dominican Sisters of Houston, she was one of their first and most dedicated volunteers in the early days of Wellspring Village.

Co-founder, with her husband Charles, of Santa Soledad retreat house in the countryside of Central Texas, the setting was made available to numerous groups involved in social justice for their meetings and retreats free of charge. Also in tandem with her husband, she supported various worldwide charities, such as the works of the Vietnamese Dominican Sisters in Vietnam, the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus in Nigeria, the Wildflower House in Thailand, and the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers in Namibia.

She was a member of various organizations, such as the Maryknoll Affiliates, First Friday Forum, the Summer Institute of the University of St. Thomas, Pax Christi and Stop (Nuclear Mining in Kleberg County), among others.

Visitation was on March 30. A Mass of Christian Burial was on March 31 at St. Ambrose Church. She was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Houston TX.

We Remember Awanda.