A Mariachi Mass and luncheon reception was held May 8 at St. Mary's Church in Los Angeles honoring Mrs. Martha De La Rosa Rios as the 2004 Mexican Mother of the Year, an award given annually to a woman of Mexican descent for her dedication to family, church and community.

De La Rosa Rios, a resident of Whittier and member of St. Bruno Church since 1977, is a mother of five and grandmother of six who graduated from Sacred Heart of Jesus High School in Lincoln Heights. A native of Los Angeles, De La Rosa Rios' father, Jesus M. De La Rosa, was from Jalisco, Mexico and her mother, Eulalia, was from Aguas Calientes, Mexico.

According to Mexican Mother of the Year Association Secretary, Carmen M. Sandoval, De La Rosa Rios represents the modern, multi-tasking working mother who, with the help and support of her spouse, Jesus Melendez Rios, managed a household, fulfilled her work commitments and volunteered many hours to church and civic groups.

During her 16-year career as a registered nurse and case manager at Alta Med Health Services, De La Rosa Rios received many commendations for her service to the Latino elderly. At St. Bruno's, she serves as a lector and member of Club Amistad and the St. Vincent De Paul Society.