Professor Maja Lukač-Stier was born in Buenos Aires to Croatian parents and is tenured at the Catholic University of Santa aria de los Buenos Aires. Her life-long contributions to the advancement and maintenance of Croatian cultural traditions in Argentina are well known and recognized. In 1995 she became the first Croatian – and only the third women in history – to be named to the prestigious Papal Academy of St. Tomas Aquinas since its establishment in 1879. She and the current Pope Francis arepersonal friend.