Denise was born on November 20, 1961 in Saint Francis of Macoris, Dominican Republic, and died on August 12, 2018 in the Bronx, New York. She was the first offspring of the late Dr. Jose Ramon Jimenez, Attorney at Law and Judge, and Frosina Genoveva Salomon, followed by her siblings Ingrid, Jose Julio, and Paddy.

Denise had a personal encounter with Jesus through the Charismatic Renewal Movement in the Dominican Republic in the Easter of 1985, and since then she was a powerful witness and a wonderful preacher about life transformation in Jesus by the action of the Holy Spirit during the 80’s and 90’s, particularly among young people.  She received the gift of listening and counseling, and the precision to always use the appropriate words that people needed to hear. Conscious of her vocation and mission, and that you must give for free, what freely you have received, she got a degree in Clinical Psychology, Summa Cum Laude, in 1993 from Santo Domingo Catholic University, and then a master’s degree in Family Therapy from the Family Sciences Research Center in 1998, to better serve the people of God. She worked as a school psychologist for several years at Seraphim of Assisi High School, and Lux Mundi High School.  

She met Maximo D’Oleo in 1985 at the youth prayer group “New Life” at “Jesus the Teacher” parish in Santo Domingo, when Max was a medical student. Denise was one of the main leaders of the group, and Max a gifted singer and composer. They started dating in 1991 and got married in January 5, 1994. They were blessed by being invited to speak about marriage preparation by different groups, even when they were still single, because that made them to take more seriously, their engagement.  They realized since the beginning of their relationship, that their union had a transcendent call, and that marriage (as a mystery that represents the love of Christ to his Church) is a sacrament of service. They learned that there was no better way to keep the strength of their union than loving and serving those in need within the Church of Christ. For that reason, Denise’s life was always marked by a constant and genuine urge to serve others.

 In 2001, they became incorporated members of the Charismatic Community of the Visitation and the Eucharist, a Public Association of the Faithful, after 7 years of preparation and discernment. That same year they moved to New York City for the first time. While Maximo was doing a Residency Training Program in Pediatrics at Elmhurst Hospital, Queens, Denise was working as a volunteer in the same hospital, RCIA catechist at Saint Joan of Arc Parish, and advisor of the parish prayer group. Then, she was hired in 2003 by the Sisters of Life to run the Spanish programs at the Family Life/Respect Life office of the Archdiocese of New York. That experience with the sisters, significantly enriched Denise in the knowledge of the Pro-Life ministry. Max and Denise went back to Dominican Republic in 2004 and spent 4 years there. While there, Denise got more instructed about the formation of groups within their lay community, and a deeper experience of the Ignatian Spirituality. Saint Ignatius of Loyola became her best friend. They both received from their community, the mandate to look for candidates who wanted to grow in this spiritual experience.

In 2008, the couple returned to NY, and Denise was again hired by the Family Life/Respect Life office. Since then until now she was a tireless worker, alongside with the Catholic Marriage Movement, serving the Hispanic community by providing formation and congresses about Marriage preparation, and Pro-Life issues. She enrolled a workforce of volunteers to attain this goal, all of them inspired by her sweetness, and the warm and personal touch that made each one feel very special. At the same time, her community were blessed with the incorporation of new members from NY.

In 2014 she started fighting breast cancer, the ultimate way the Lord had disposed to build on her his masterpiece of holiness. She embraced her illness with dignity and courage, always trusting that the almighty Father would never abandon her. She died at Calvary Hospital just minutes after reciting the divine mercy chaplet, surrounded by her husband, co-workers, community members, relatives, and friends. “Love is as powerful as death” (Song of Songs 8:6), and Denise’s witness of love and service will never end.   

Reposing Wednesday August 15th from 2-5 & 7-9 pm at Riverdale-on-Hudson Funeral Home, 6110 Riverdale Ave., at West 261st Street, Bronx.  Mass of Christian Burial Thursday 9:45 am at St. Margaret of Cortona Church, 6000 Riverdale Ave. Interment to follow next week (Date to be arranged) at the La Puerta del Cielo Cemetery Park in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.