Welcome New Communications Associate Maria

As she drove away from the beautiful campus of the Catholic University of America after graduation, Maria Beben nostalgically wondered when and if she’d return. Little did she know that just three short months later, she would be back in Washington, DC, wheeling her suitcases towards Franciscan Mission Service’s Casa San Salvador mission house. For the next thirteen months, Maria will work in the Franciscan Mission Service office as the staff writer in the Nonprofit Servant Leadership Program.

Maria graduated in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and a minor in theology and religious studies. She is very grateful that the staff writer position will allow her to engage her passion for the written word and also give her the opportunity to deepen her faith. Maria felt called to a holistically challenging experience and the beautiful simplicity of the Franciscan spirituality drew her to Franciscan Mission Service.

During her four years at Catholic University, Maria fell in love with Washington, DC and is very excited to have the opportunity to continue exploring the city and its many hidden treasures. In her free time, Maria can usually be found outside, either getting lost in a novel, or scribbling away in a notebook. She also enjoys baking and hiking. Maria is delighted that the incredibly beautiful landscape of the Franciscan Monastery is now in her backyard.

As the staff writer, Maria will work on the blog and other communications projects. As part of the Nonprofit Servant Leadership Program, Maria also has the opportunity to volunteer weekly at a service site in the neighborhood and share meals and prayer in intentional community with other young adults serving in DC.

Welcome, Maria!

Fun Fact: “In the past year, I bought three typewriters. It’s not something I planned on, I just kept finding cheap typewriters at unexpected and sometimes inconvenient times. Right before Christmas last year, I needed a last minute gift for someone and ended up bringing home a typewriter for myself instead. This summer I was on a road trip with an already full car, so we had to rearrange everything in the trunk to accommodate this giant typewriter that I just had to have. Now I’m always on the lookout for more. Can you ever really have too many typewriters?”

Favorite Saint: “I don’t know as much about the saints as I’d like to, but I’ve always been struck by St. Joan of Arc’s story. Her willing response to God’s radical call is both an inspiration and a challenge. She’s inspired me to respond to God’s promptings in my own life, though (thankfully) they’ve been on a much smaller scale.”

Are you interested in the Nonprofit Servant Leadership Program? We are currently looking for a skilled graphic designer to join our communications team.