Mexican Consul General Visits Saint Joseph’s

Carlos G. Obrador Garrido Cuesta, Consul General of the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia, visited Saint Joseph’s on February 20 to discuss current and potential partnerships between the University and the Mexican government.

Obrador, who has been head consul for four months, heard from Saint Joseph’s faculty, staff and students about different initiatives at the University, including the Health Promoters program through the Institute of Clinical Bioethics, which provides screenings and other health-care services to undocumented immigrants in the Philadelphia area. The University has a memorandum of understanding with the Consulate, which has helped to provide resources to the Health Promoters program, including legal and financial literacy help to its clients, says Peter Clark , ’75, S.J., Ph.D., professor and director of the Institute of Clinical Bioethics and the John McShain Chair in Ethics.

"The memorandum of understanding with the Consulate of Mexico allows both the Institute of Clinical Bioethics and the Consulate to share resources and to collaborate with one another on various projects," Clark says. "The Consulate has been a great help in providing legal aid and financial aid to the Mexicans that attend the Hispanic Health Promoter Program at St. Francis DeSales Church, which is sponsored by the Institute of Clinical Bioethics and the Mercy Catholic Medical Center. The Fellows in the Institute have also run Health Promoter sessions at the Consulate on Saturdays. This relationship is one that has been excellent for both of us."

Obrador discussed some of the Consulate’s top priorities, including providing health care, education and financial literacy services for newly arrived immigrants, and encouraging immigrants to participate in the 2020 U.S. Census.

“It is really moving to hear and learn about this collaboration that we have with Saint Joseph’s University with all of you,” Obrador said. “We will be better prepared to serve the human being, regardless of nationality, which is the most important [part].”