Celebrating Centro Mater West at 30, where 'every child matters'

By Cristina Cabrera Jarro -

HIALEAH GARDENS| Three-year-old Audrey Fraguela stood on stage before friends, teachers, and supporters of Centro Mater West who came to celebrate the childcare center’s 30th anniversary on January 14, 2026. Wearing a bow, a blue 30th anniversary T-shirt, and a white tutu, she helped Program Administrator Julietta Riveron tell the origin story of Centro Mater.

“This is the story of the children and a nun,” said Riveron. “And what was the name of the nun?”

“Sister Miranda,” said Audrey.

The duo recounted how Mother Margarita Miranda Otero, a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart in Cuba, founded Centro Mater Child Care Services in Little Havana in 1968 to care for the children of exiled Cubans working multiple jobs. As demand grew, Centro Mater expanded its services and opened a Hialeah Gardens location in 1996.

“And Audrey, what are we doing here today?” Riveron asked.

“Celebrating the birthday of Centro Mater,” said Audrey who cheered with her classmates and staff of the center.

Watching from the side of the stage stood Audrey’s proud teacher, Veronica Suarez.

“I told the story one morning with a large group. It took about 20 minutes, and she learned it,” said Suarez, who has been teaching at Centro Mater West for 20 years.

Her own children also attended the center.

“I asked my daughter what she remembered most about Centro Mater, and she said Cuqui, Miriam, Tere—all who worked at the front in the offices—her teacher Rosario, and the food,” said Suarez.

Nilda “Cuqui” Castellanos and Teresa “Tere” Revuelta, two early pioneers, attended the celebration, delighting staff and teachers.

“When you come to work happy, it is a blessing,” Castellanos said of her time at Centro Mater.

Revuelta recalled the grassroots efforts to launch Centro Mater West, with the team making phone calls, going door to door, and visiting nearby shops to share that a new Hispanic- and Catholic-rooted childcare center and preschool with scholarships had opened.

 

 

Centro Mater, the beginnings 

 

“I would get back to the office and say, ‘I’ve got two more’ and ‘I’ve got three more’ for enrollment,” Revuelta said. “We filled quickly. It was beautiful to see.”

Both women worked alongside Miriam Roman, a pillar and founder of Centro Mater West. Roman started at the Little Havana location with Sister Miranda, serving as a religion teacher, social worker, administrator, and eventually executive director of all five Centro Mater centers.

“We have followed the steps of Sister Miranda,” Roman said at a Jan. 21, 2013, Mass marking the facility’s anniversary. “In Centro Mater, every child matters.”

Though Roman retired in 2013 after more than 40 years dedicated to Centro Mater, she often returned to help. She died Jan. 18, 2022.

At the 30th celebration, the current Executive Director of Centro Mater Madelyn Llanes honored Roman’s legacy.

“Through her wisdom, leadership, hard work and generosity of spirit, she taught me what it truly means to serve with purpose, humility, and integrity. I hope she is proud of the work that we continue to do, and that she’s very happy looking down at us and seeing how beautiful this place is,” said Llanes.

Centro Mater, operated by Catholic Health Services, won the Miami-Dade County Best Daycare Award in 2024, and earned near-perfect scores on federal and state preschool and daycare assessments in 2025. The centers serve 1,600 children ages six weeks to 12 years old across five centers, including 600 at Centro Mater West.

“They go home to Centro Mater after school to a place where they are loved and nurtured and they are safe,” said Lourdes Pardo, chair of the Centro Mater Foundation.

Pardo noted that beyond education and care for children, Centro Mater also connects families to health and nutrition services, home-based programs, financial assistance, and more.

“We really try to get the families on their feet because if the families are stable, then the children can succeed,” she said.

Centro Mater: helping children and their families

From the beginning of Centro Mater West, one family’s help made it possible for other families to thrive: the Ortegas. Jose “Pepe” Antonio Ortega, the Cuban-born founder of Sazón Goya Food Company, was a donor to local institutions, including Mercy Hospital and the Liga Contra el Cancer (League Against Cancer). He went beyond donating funds for Centro Mater and purchased the Hialeah Gardens property, covered planning, permits, zoning, and construction. He also secured benefactors to help sustain the project and its ongoing needs.

“As Mother Miranda would have said ‘Another prayer was answered’ when Pepe Ortega became a guardian angel of Centro Mater,” said Pardo.

Although Ortega died in 2009, the Ortega Foundation continues to support Centro Mater, with his daughter Maria Wollberg and Ana Ortega serving on the Centro Mater Foundation board.

Llanes reminded supporters that “day in and day out, when everyone comes together in service guided by faith, we truly become a village lifting up our children and families.”

Hialeah Gardens Mayor Yioset De la Cruz also recognized Centro Mater, declaring Jan. 14, 2026, as “30th Anniversary of Centro Mater West Day,” praising their legacy of service, and calling them a trusted partner in creating safe, inclusive learning environments that support families and strengthen the community.

Centro Mater also thanked Archbishop Wenski for his years of dedication to the organization’s mission. Though unable to attend the 30th anniversary, Miami Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Delgado shared that Archbishop Wenski holds Centro Mater in high regard. Bishop Delgado blessed those present, especially praying for children to “persevere in their studies” and for teachers “to strive to share their knowledge with gentle patience.”

“Bless, oh Lord, Centro Mater West with all kinds of spiritual blessings. Grant that students and teacher alike may follow Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life,” Bishop Delgado said.

FIND OUT MORE

• To learn more about Centro Mater and its services visitwww.centromater.com or call 305-545-6049.