25th FOUNDATION ANNIVERSARY MORE TO READ

Message

My heartfelt greetings and congratulations to the Claretian Missionary Sisters – Philippine Dependent Delegation, as you celebrate the Silver Anniversary of your missionary presence in the country!

Coming this far is a blessing that each one should humbly recognize. This only shows how faithful God is. Your commitment to your different ministries is also an expression of your generous response to God’s fidelity to you. Yes, you may have gone through some bumpy experiences in the past twenty-five years, but as you look back, you will realize that these were avenues that paved the way for a more relevant missionary presence of your Congregation.  

May you continue to be generous, committed and faithful. I pray for your continuous missionary presence in the Philippines in the coming years.

Yours sincerely,

Leo Dalmao, CMF

Provincial Superior

Claretian Missionaries – Philippine Province

Greetings on the 25 Anniversary of Foundation in the Philippines

Today, we are celebrating with joy the 25 years Anniversary of our Foundation of Quezon City. Many things are coming to my memory of these 25 years. The day of foundation was October, 7, 1987 and the first Eucharistic Celebration in our house was on October 12. At that time, the Provincial Superior was Sister Delfina Llamas and from the year 1988 to the year 2000 the care of the sisters who were sent to Quezon City was entrusted to me. At the beginning, the sisters were living in Maginhawa Street and they were doing their best to learn the language and the culture, following the charism of our Founders Saint Anthony Mary Claret and Venerable Maria Antonia Paris to make known the love of God manifested in our Lord Jesus Christ.  In this our journey, starting with Father Moraleda, we had experienced the continuous support of the Claretian Missionaries, always encouraging us to go on.

The great joy that we can experience today is that the sisters of this community, with great missionary spirit not only have expanded around Philippines – Zamboanga & Guimaras – but also in others countries of Asia such as: India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, East Timor and now Vietnam. The Lord, really, has blessed us and we can see now the fruits of these Foundation. In these endeavors we are also very grateful to the Claretian Fathers for their encouragement and support, especially at the starting of each of these events. We cannot also forget especially, our sisters Inocencia Rodrigo y also Maria Ruth Villalba(RIP) , the two of them were initiating these endeavors.

 

Along these 25 years we have received the help of many persons, spiritually and materially; thanks to them we could continue our journey in spite of the difficulties we have encounter several times. From the bottom of our hearts we give thanks also to them. I remember very well the words of Cardinal Sin when we went to ask him the permission to start the Foundation in this place. With a warm heart he gave to us the permission and told to me:  “I will be glad if in the future you go to China for a misión”. Now in the actual situation we cannot go, but I hope that in our 50 anniversary we can enjoy also this foundation. Thanks also to Cardinal Sin.

May our Immaculate Mother Mary be our model at the service of the Kingdom of God.

Takatsuki -Japan, September, 28, 2012

                        

 Asunta Hori,RMI                                                    

                                                    Superior Asia Viceprovince

CLARETIAN MISSIONARY SISTERS, 25 YEARS OF GRACE IN THE PHILIPPINES

CONGRATULATION!!! Philippine Dependent Delegation!!! CONGRATULATION!!! Japan!!!

The 25 years of grace in Philippines, were without doubt 25 years of grace for the Vice-province of Asia, initially called Vice-province of Japan.

Let us remember the works of the Lord in the historical events of the Congregation in the Philippines and in Asia

One of the important historical events was the Celebration on August, 27, 1955 of the 100^thAnniversary Foundation of the Congregation in Cuba.

The General Superior, Mother Maria Teresa Negroni, decided to commemorate it with the Perpetual Profesion of 20 Sisters, in Reus, beside the tumba of Mother Foundress, and also with the Foundation of the first house in Japan.

Japan was born under the charismatic signs of “poverty” and “communion”.  “Poverty” because the lack of material means,  and “communion” because the union of all the houses of the Congregation sharing with the new foundation have been performed the miracle of life and expansion inside of the country and in others countries of Asia

Moved by the Spirit of the Lord, the Sisters in Japan were willing to share the Claretian Missionary Charism, in other countries of Asia. The first was Korea and the next, impel always by the Spirit of the Lord, was Philippines.

 On October 7^th, 1987, feast of Our Lady of Rosary the Foundation in the Philippines became reality.

Sister Maria Delfina Llamas, the Viceprovincial Superior at that time, started the Foundation and the next Superior, Sister Asunta Hori continued the support and consolidation of the Foundation.

The first Sisters been sent to Philippines from Japan, were: Ruth Villalba y Eduarda Pérez(Oct. 1987); Cecilia Kondo y TeresitaNoi (2 months later) ;Inocencia Rodrigo (Julio 1988).

One year after the foundation, four young Filipina girls wanted to experience our way of life, and with then the formation of future Claretian sisters in Asia have started. Year by year the number of candidates increase, and the Formation House of Quezon City became an international place of formation, full of the joy of experiencing “communion” without frontiers of nationalities and sharing the richness of different cultures. The Sisters in the Philippines with their open welcome and generosity, and Japan providing all the necessary, are truly a grace of “communion”.

From Philippines the expansion of the Congregation became reality.  Inside of the country: Quezon City, Zamboanga and Guimaras. In other Asian countries: Indonesia and Timor Leste; Vocation Promotion in India and Sri Lanka and the formation in Quezon City of the first sisters than later have accomplished the foundation in their own  countries.

Writing this brief article I feel the need to express than my personal history, because the plan of God, form part of the history of Japan and Philippines.  For this I gave continually thanks to God.

Among the 20 sisters that have Professed Perpetually on August 27^th, 1955, commemorating the 100º Anniversary of the Congregation, I, I was one of them. On 1965, I was sent to Japan and on 1988 to Philippines.

MANY GOOD THINGS I CAN TELL ABOUT YOU, JAPAN AND ABOUT YOU PHILIPPINES, BUT HERE ONLY ONE THING I WILL TELL YOU: THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!! Thank you because you have welcomed me and you have helped me to grow in the presence of the Lord.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! FILIPINAS!  CONGRATULATIONS!!! JAPAN!.

 Jogjakarta 19 September, 2012

InocenciaRodrigo,rmi

 

 

MORE OF THE 25TH FOUNDATION ANNIVERSARY

Poem  composed by Sis, Inocencia Rodrigo,  September 21,2012  ,Jogjakarta

CLARETIANAS EN FILIPINAS,      @  “25 YEARS”

FILIPINAS, PERLA DE ORIENTE,  EL SEÑOR TE ESCOGIO ENTRE MILES

PARA PLANTAR LA SIMIENTE  DEL EVANGELIO DE VIDA.

TU ERES TIERRA PROMETIDA   PARA QUE EN TI LA FE VIVA,

FUENTE DE PAZ Y ALEGRIA  SEA ANTORCHA QUE ILUMINE

HACIA LA VERDAD DIVINA.  OTROS PUEBLOS DEL ORIENTE.

DESDE JAPON EL ESPIRITU EMPUJO NUESTRA BARQUILLA

 CON UN VIENTO FAVORABLE  HACIA EL PUERTO DE MANILA.

ALLI NOS MANDO ESPARCIR   DENTRO Y FUERA DEL PAIS

LA LUZ DE NUESTRO CARISMA,  LUZ DE EVANGELIO Y VIDA.

EN ESTOS 25 AÑOS,  GRACIAS TE DAMOS, SEÑOR

POR LA ABUNDANCIA DE AMOR  CON QUE HACES FRUCTIFICAR

LOS DONES QUE TU NOS DAS.

TU ESPIRITU NOS ANIME,  NOS FORTALEZCA Y NOS GUIE.

ILUMINANOS, SIEMPRE, SEÑOR,   PARA SER NUEVOS APOSTOLES

DE TU EVANGELIO DE AMOR.

by :                                                                 

  InocenciaRodrigo,rmi

  Jogajakarta 21 Sept. 2012

On the 25 years of Foundation in Philippines

Even shortly I would like to write here something that I remember about our desire of starting a mission in the Philippines.

The first trip from Japan to Philippines, was with the purpose to participate on the First Meeting of the CLARETIAN FAMILY in the Philippines. We were invited by our Claretian Brothers in Japan, and two Claretian Sisters: Inés Sakaguchi  and Delfina Llamas, together with a group of Claretian Fathers and Lay Claretians, we traveled to Philippines.  

Our experience in those days was of an encounter with a true Family: We were welcomed warmly by our Claretian brothers in the Philippines, their care in any place and at all time, still are very present in our grateful memories. Really there were days that we cannot forget. There was an Encounter in which our common Claretian charism was deepening and the links that united us as a Claretian Family were strengthened.

But, not only this, there were more, because our brothers in Philippines, and especially one of them, at that time was the Provincial Superior, Fr. José María Mazquez, invited us to start our Foundation in the Philippines and he was insisting on this invitation. We felt enthusiastic with the invitation and expressed all of this to our Mother General. But it seems to be that the time of the Lord was not yet and we have to wait 7 years more until the desire become a reality. Along this time the desire matured and through discernment was known clearly that the Lord wanted us to stay in the Philippines. The Foundation became a reality.

,On the other hand, one day, in Madrid, one of our sisters assigned in Japan, Maria del Pilar Andreu Cid, in our house of San Francisco de Sales, could meet Fr. Bernardo Blanco, cmf.,, and he insisted on the idea of the Foundation in Philippines, encouraging us and saying that some Filipina girls wanted to become Claretian Sisters and they were waiting for us. At last, the trip to Philippines to talk with our brothers about the Foundation, became a reality. With the help and fraternal care of our Claretian brothers we were looking for a house to be rented, and other necessary things needed for the new foundation.  The house were found near the place of CMF house and a walking distance to the Parish Church, facilitating us the daily participation in the Holy Eucharist. Until all the that was necessary to live in the renting house was ready, we were living in the convent of the cmf.

On October 7, Day of Our Lady of Rosary, we could stay already in our house and on the day 12, Feast of Our Lady of Pilar, we have in the house the first Eucharistic Celebration, presided by Fr. Domingo Moraleda, CMF, and participated by other Claretian brothers and of a group of three Claretian Sisters: Eduarda Pérez, María Ruth Villalba and Delfina Llamas.

 Eduarda Pérez and María Ruth Villaba were the first Sisters assigned to the new Foundation.

After the Eucharist Celebration, the Holy Sacrament remained in the tabernacle in our house. Soon the first three aspirants joined with the sisters, and short time later, another sisstrs from Japan arrived: Cecilia Kondo, Teresita Noi and Inocencia Rodrigo.

The Claretian Fathers have continued helping us in all we needed and also offered to us part of the land where they have built the new Seminary in Quezon City. Soon we bought the land and three years after our arrival in the Philippines, we could build our House of Formation and House of Spirituality. 

With a heart full of thanksgiving to God, to the Congregation and to our Claretian Brothers, I give thanks for all we have received along these 25 Years in our Mission in this Country, and because  the help of our sisters from Japan, their encouragement and financial support; the availability of the sisters in the Philippines; the prayers of all the sisters in the Congregation, the Lord gave to us the grace of being able to expand from the Philippines to other countries in Asia: India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and East Timor, and maybe in the future Vietnam…

My desire is that the Lord accompanies us always in our journey and helps us to fulfill His Will in all our apostolic endeavor for His Kingdom, giving fruits for the Glory of God. 

                                                       María Delfina Llamas RMI

A MONTH STAY IN VIETNAM

Rizalyn Solitario,  the Dependent  Delegate Superior of the Philippines  and at present the Vice Provincial Secretary was given charge by the  Vice Provincial to over see the Vocation Promotion in Vietnam which which she has been doing  with one more sister for almost a year. She is at present spending her one month stay there to attend our second group of Vietnamese before they come to Philippines for their  initial formation.   The first group of Vietnamese 3 young  ladies are in Zamboanga City , their new home for the Aspirancy stage, with Sister Marita Jovellanos  as the In-charge.  Join us with your prayers as we venture anew in this work of promoting vocations for Church  for the proclamation of the kingdom, THE HARVEST IS RICH BUT THE LABORERS ARE FEW, LET US PRAY TO THE LORD OF THE HARVEST THAT HE MAY SEND WORKERS INTO HIS VINEYARD.

MISSIONARY COMMITMENT

October 5,2012, Quezon City, Philippines

First Religious Profession of  Ida Royani, Friska Purba and Skolastica Purba, ( Indonesians ) The day before the profession was  the rite of the handling of the habit with the Vice Provincial and her council. The sisters were all gathered in the Patio for the said event.

...that God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , may be known and loved by all.

    

Oct. 6,  Profession Day

Message from Mother Provincial Assunta Hori

" In God we live and move and have our being "       Acts 17,28

In this celebration of the 25th anniversary of the foundation in the Philippines my feelings are those of thanksgiving. Thanks to the Mercy o f God that always help us and impel us and maintain us to live, move and exit in Him. Thanks to our Immaculate Mother who accompany us in our journey. Thanks to our Immaculate Mother who accompany us in our journey.Thanks to the missionary charism of our founders: St. Anthony  Mary Claret and  Venerable Maria Antonia Paris. 

Thanks to the sisters who accepted the missionary sending. thanks to the Claretian Fathers that have impelled and help us to make reality this foundation and thanks to all the persons that are close to us and had  helped us in a spiritual or material way. Today we can see the fruit of these 25 years. Except the sisters from India, we have here, among us sisters of the communities of Quezon City, Zamboanga, Guimaras, Sri, Lanka , Indonesia Timor Leste and Vietnam witnesses of the fruits of the Jubilee, and today also we are celebrating the First profession of the three sisters from Indonesia. We give thanks to the Lord for His many graces and love.

We would like to express like to express our gratitude to all of you, asking the Lord/his blessing upon you who helped us to continue living the missionary charism of our founders that  our God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will be known and love by all people.

THANK YOU

MOVING BACKWARD 25 YEARS AGO

A copy of what was read before the Celebration of the Eucharist:

Good Morning ,

We are gathered on the occasion of  our  25^th Foundation anniversary of  our presence in  the Philippines.

Very briefly  , allow me to  give you a glimpse of the how was our journey  25 years ago.

1987, October  two of our sisters namely Ruth Villalba Carpio and Eduarda Perez  landed to Philippines from Japan  to begin the  foundation , under the leadership of  Sister Delfina Llamas, who was  then the Vice Provincial.

Sister Delfina , remembered with love and enthusiasm that first encounter  with the Claretian Fathers  in the persons of Fr. Bernardo Blanco and  Fr. Jose Maria  Marquez who invited her to  come to Philippines .  The invitation was not  given an immediate response, it took sometime even years before the invitation became a reality.

The consistent  fraternal invitation of our brother Claretians  made the coming of our  first group of sisters easy  even the sisters knew that every  beginning is difficult.   The sisters started their missionary journey  in the residence they rented  located at Maginhawa, UP Village.

On July 16, 1990     , three years after  ,  with two  more Japanese  sister Cecila Kondo and Teresita Noi came to form part of the community and started their new life ,in the newly  build formation and retreat house,  where we are gathered at present  for this celebration . The sisters did not only carry those things necessary  for the transfer, but  along with them    they  brought the  first  group of Filipina candidates through the kindness of  the Claretian Fathers.  Among the 4 candidates, only sister Teresita Buen   stayed and still keeping strong with the grace of God. 

Big part of the history unfolded in this present residence .  This formation house had welcomed  and formed those first few batches from India, from Srilanka, from Indonesia  and East Timor , that had  made way   the beginning and  foundations of India , Srilanka ,Indonesia  and East Timor  .

At present we continue the   mission of  forming  missionaries  extending  our wings  to other Asian territories ,except for India we have still with us  Srilankans, Indonesians , and the newest are from Korea, East Timor and Vietnam.  The work of promoting vocations  is in collaboration with our  Claretian Priests and brothers. Thanks to their kindness, thoughtfulness  and generousity of heart for everything even until this present time.

 In January  1998,  the foundation  in  Zamboanga started ,with the aim to  build a residence for female college students  . At present it caters 48 college students  and young  professionals  from different colleges and universities in the city and open even to non Catholics .

In  May 2002 , we extended our mission to Guimaras Province, to manage a school which was formerly a parochial school  in the Municipality of Buenavista. At present we  have expanded to elementary school retaining the name of Sto. Niño Catholic School, the only Catholic school in Buenavista , now catering 153 pupils.

Much has been given to us , more is expected from us. God continues to provide  and confirm our mission  in the different places we are in and in the different ministries we do and share with . He has filled us not only  challenges along our path of keeping faithful to our charism to MAKE GOD THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST  KNOWN AND LOVED BY ALL…. But as well His goodness and kindness for the provisions that in our many limitations of personnel and materials means  he taught us to “hope against all hope”.

At 25,  we turn to God with a joyful and  grateful heart , willing spirit  to follow and  be faithful to the charism we receive from our beloved founders  St. Anthony  Mary Claret and Venerable Maria Antonia Paris .

Along this celebration we have been graced by God to have three more sisters – Ida Royani, Friska Purba and  Skolastica Neldis -  who desired to consecrate and follow the Lord  more closely  in the spirit of Claret and Paris ,  which we are about to witness in a little while , let us accompany them with our prayers and support  .

We are also happy to have with us the presence of Sister Inocencia Rodrigo who had been with us  in the Philippines for 23 years , who is currently assigned in Indonesia. With us   also is  our newly elected Vice Provincial Superior Assunta Hori with her council.