Celebrating a Story of Grace with La Madre

She came. She saw. She conquered. Yes, the FMA Superior General, Sr. Yvonne Reungoat, came as a Mother visiting her Daughters and their Educating Communities in the Philippines. She saw the needs that arise from the devastation caused by the two most destructive tropical typhoons that hit the country just two weeks before her long-awaited visit. And she conquered the hearts of everyone with her loving presence, which brings timely help and lively hope so much needed by the Filipino people. She made the Sisters and the people feel the love and concern of the whole Institute through her assuring and consoling words and gestures.

Indeed she is tangible sign of hope, like a rainbow that arcs majestically across the sky after the storm, a rainbow reminiscent of the one which appeared after the great floods at Noah’s time for God’s people to remember it as a sign of the renewed Covenant of love with Yahweh.

To celebrate a story of grace is to heed this call to a renewed Covenant with God, who has been loving and guiding the Philippine Province for the past 25 years, and will never cease doing so.

In the context of a national calamity, La Madre’s visit is a concrete expression of God, who continues to love and visit his people to awaken in their hearts a sense of greater responsibility, solidarity and concern for one another.

October 17, 2009 – La Madre’s proposal to modify and simplify our anniversary festivity was a decisive choice for sobriety assumed by the Sisters and their Educating Communities in solidarity with our suffering people, as well as to channel resources instead to augment the relief goods for the calamity victims. The chosen venue for the simple gathering was Canlubang, Laguna, where we have three communities.

The Eucharistic celebration concelebrated by three Salesians was preceded by the solemn dance interpretation of the “La Naval” to commemorate the miraculous naval victory, attributed to Our Lady of the Rosary, by the Spanish-Filipino troops over the Dutch forces in 1646. After this the Provincial Council, the community animators and representatives of the Educating Communities in Laguna accompanied La Madre to visit Barangay (village) 2 in Calamba City, an area badly affected by the floods. After a meaningful prayer with the people, approximately 300 families received relief goods of rice, canned goods, pails and charcoal stoves from Mo. Yvonne’s hands. As a sign of Mary’s motherly presence, Mother Yvonne gifted the community with a statue of Mary Help of Christians, which she entrusted to the barangay chairman, the leader of the local territory. “Mary is our Help and Mother who will always stay with you to guide and protect you” were the words of La Madre which gave the people great consolation, hope, joy and the courage to rebuild their lives.

In the evening, more than a hundred youth leaders, lay and FMA animators coming from different communities in the North gathered for a friendly encounter with La Madre at Don Bosco School in Sta. Mesa, Manila. It was organized by the Youth Pastoral Team to offer the young and the lay animators an intimate experience of dialogue and of prayer with La Madre. In such a very familiar manner, Mother told them that she loves them all and that the Sisters will be sad without them. She likewise challenged them to have a living encounter with Jesus, to weave trust, to build good relationships among them and to be witnesses of joy and hope.  The Taizé prayer was particularly offered for the Filipino people during these difficult moments of trial and suffering. The power of praying together as a community was a force and a source of strength and courage because God is present in history.

October 18, 2009 – A day of celebration and thanksgiving for the 25^th anniversary of the canonical establishment of the St. Mary D. Mazzarello FIL Province! The encounter of the Sisters with La Madre began with a prayer celebration which recalls with gratitude the unfolding of God’s marvels in the history of the Province from its beginnings in 1984 to 2009. In response to the great love of God, and in gratitude for the Institute, the Sisters renewed their vows and offered their commitment, symbolized by the roses they placed at Mary’s feet.

The message of La Madre based on the 22^nd General chapter was a challenge for the Sisters to make the Salesian charism more brilliant and contagious by being living signs of Jesus. It is our faith in him that gives meaning to life, nourishes hope and renders the educative mission truly prophetic. She also invited the Sisters to decisively undertake the journey of conversion and to stake all for the education of young people.

The afternoon was a moment of celebration with the Salesian Family. Representatives of the Salesian Fathers, Salesian Cooperators, Volunteers of Don Bosco, past pupils, the Board of Directors of the Laura Vicuña Foundation, benefactors and a number of young people joined Mo. Yvonne and the Sisters for the Eucharistic Celebration and a simple dinner. Three short multimedia presentations on the history of the Philippine Province, the life of Mo. Yvonne and the FMA relief operations enriched and contextualized the celebration.

A solemn blessing sung and bestowed on Mo. Yvonne by the whole assembly, led by the representatives of the Salesian Family, with their right hands stretched out to pray over her, crowned the Sunday liturgy. This gesture really moved the heart of La Madre!

Greetings, agape, innumerable photos tried to capture the flux of blessing upon blessing in the celebration. Everyone, like Mary, will surely treasure all these in one’s heart with gratitude.

The story of grace continues to be written in many lives touched by this woman who represents Mary among her people. Mo. Yvonne came, saw and conquered hearts, which will never be the same again after a life-changing ENCOUNTER with her.

- Sr. Maria Socorro Bacani -

Relief Operations in Pinagbuhatan, Pasig

“MAY BUKAS PA”

By: Sr. Maria Asela B. Chavez, FMA

It’s like a vast sea all around… Some areas in Taytay, Rizal and Pasig City are still submerged (shoulder level) in the dirty flood water brought about by the recent typhoon “Ondoy”. The flood waters have not subsided since then due to problems with the drainage system. The former terminal for jeepneys and tricycles has become a “daungan” (pier or sea port) for the make-shift boats made of plastic containers, drums, styrofore, PVC pipes, airbeds with a piece of wood as flooring and 2-3 chairs on top. They also have an “amphibian” which is actually a “kariton” (wooden cart) with little wheels below but floats on water. It’s really Pinoy Henyo (Pinoy’s ingenuity and creativity) in times of calamities and disasters.

As an act of solidarity to our suffering brethren, Sr. Sarah Garcia, FMA together with some sisters (Sr. Lanie, Sr. Cathy, Sr. Aileen, Sr. Ernielyn, Sr. Mendy, Sr. Asela), parents (Mr. and Mrs. Canto and Mrs. Precy Guerrero) as well as Aling Eden (DBS service operator), her drivers and conductors went all the way to Taytay and Pasig to bring some relief goods to the typhoon victims in Centennial II in Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City (the place of Virgilio, one of our lay staff in DBS) last October 4, 2009, Sunday. We went there because the place is located in the innermost part and relief goods are not being distributed there.  The Sisters and our women companions rode joyfully in these make-shift boats which took us almost an hour to get there passing through Taytay, Rizal since it’s flooded all over Pasig City. Even if the flood waters are still on the waist and shoulder level inside their homes, life still goes on. The stores, barbershops, markets and some computer shops are still open. There are even kids, submerged in the flood waters, selling banana cue in the streets. It’s “business as usual”.

In spite of the very depressing scenes in their place, the children are still very happy “swimming” around and diving from their roof tops. Every person, young and old, we meet along the way are still “all smiles” and greet us along the way. They can still laugh, make fun and deliver jokes in spite of what happened to them. Not a single word of complaint or grumbling comes out from their lips. They don’t dramatize things. They’re even very grateful for the presence of the Sisters, saying “Salamat po sa pagdamay nyo sa amin” (Thanks for being one with us). On our way home, some men were singing the song entitled “May Bukas Pa” (There’s still hope tomorrow). It is the title of the very popular TV show about a little boy “Santino” and his close friend “Bro” (none other than Our Lord Jesus Christ) who made miracles in the lives of every person they encounter.

Perhaps this is also the secret of the unwavering hope and joyful disposition of the Filipino people in spite of: the TRUST IN THE LOVE AND CARE OF GOD…

“KAHIT ANO’NG MANGYARI, HINDI KAMI PABABAYAAN NI BRO…”

On-going Salesian Sisters’ Relief Operation at Don Bosco School and other places

October 5, 2009 (Manila)

Relief operations for flood victims are on-going at Don Bosco School, Sta. Mesa, Manila since last September 26, 2009.  Last October 1, the Salesian Sisters conducted a formative  activity named “Women’s Day”.  A total of 700 mothers, grandmothers, and young women gathered at the school hall for a short program consisting of prayer service, sharing of experiences, games,  and gift-giving.

The following day’s schedule is called “Men’s Day” for a total of 400 fathers, grandfathers, and young men with the same program conducted for the “Women’s Day” and Saturday (October 3, 2009) was “Children’s Day” for 500 kids.  The homogenous groupings facilitate the nature of the formative activity and the types of relief goods to be distributed to them.

Last October 2, three groups of Salesian Sisters, formands, volunteers from parents, teachers, and students distributed relief goods in Araneta Avenue (5 kilometers from the FMA Provincial House),  San Mateo, Rizal (24 kilometers from Manila), Cainta, Rizal (15 kilometers from Manila).  In Araneta, 100 bags were given while  San Mateo and Cainta, got 400 and 500 bags, respectively.

October 4, Sunday, 160 bags of relief were distributed in Montalban and 200 bags in Pinagbuhatan, Pasig.   Part of Montalban has no electricity and water yet and still cleaning up the thick mud that covered up to the roof of houses.  Aside from no water and electricity, a big portion of Pinagbuhatan, Pasig is still under water up to 4 feet deep.

Donations in cash and in kind are pouring in both locally and  abroad daily benefitting 750 families from the neighborhood and some places reached out as needed.  Volunteers mainly from the students, teachers, and parents of Don Bosco School come everday on an average of 100 persons to assist the 22 Salesian Sisters who are directly involved in the operation.