Maria Santiago

Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Maria Santiago is the daughter of a U.S. Steel worker and a spirit filled Mother. As a Catholic woman, she believes that people from all walks of life, could teach her valuable things about loving one another.  She does not believe there is only one "right and true" religion, only one "right and true" God.

When Maria married her husband Carlos, he came to her with a bonus, two beautiful little girls, Melissa and Millicent. As a family, they were blessed with two more children, Joy 13, and Manny 8. This December she will be celebrating her 24^th anniversary with her husband.

For fourteen years, she worked at Bowen High School, as a Teacher Aide.   During this time, she developed a strong love for teaching.  Maria also worked at the Hyatt Regency Chicago for fifteen years, where she developed her love for all kinds of people, from all kinds of places.  Maria knows it was these two divine appointments that lead her to teach and love people the Lord would send her way.

Her public ministry began in 1995, when her husband was diagnosed with cancer for the second time.  It was then when she began to enlist the healing power of the Holy Spirit to cure people's bodies as well as their minds, with the Word of God. Ever since that time, helping and praying for her family, friends, and especially strangers, became a way of life.

She believes with her whole heart that Christians should be just as visible to the world on Wednesday afternoon, as they are on Sunday morning. According to Maria, we should always be seen as followers of Christ, walking in His love.  Last year, she began a series of "talks" based on the idea of "Being a Godly Woman Sunday through Sunday". These talks are not lecture based. Instead, Maria encourages her groups to engage in their own stories of personal triumphs and hardships.  Maria and her sisters in Christ have been blessed by the testimonies that are shared at the meetings, which is the REAL reason why the groups keep coming to the "talks".  The interactive component has been the icing on the spiritual cake!

As Christian women, it is important to share our stories with one another - not only to heal, but to set others free. It is Maria’s hope and dream that she will always be allowed to share everything that she has learned and experienced with God, in order to help bring as many people as she can closer to Him.  God has been the source of her success in ministry.

She wants women to always be mindful of the truth in Romans 8:28 (NKJV), “…that all things (in life) work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”