By Nelda Natividad

NELDA NATIVIDAD is a member of that extraordinary apostolate: The Legion of Mary whose members believe that through the gentleness and tenderness of Mary the world can be brought to healing in Christ.

My job in the Tourist Hotel had afforded me the opportunity to meet missionaries who passed through Madang and my favorite query to them was. Do you have the Legion of Mary in your area?” Thus if they answered in the affirmative, we immediately has a mutual subject to share. If the Legion of Mary was still not existing then briefly I introduced myself as a Legionary from the Philippines and an Incola Mariae here in Madang. As such, I could help in organizing units. Once won over, I would furnish the Priest with the Legion Handbook, a translated edition in Pidgin. I have enough Legion of Mary handouts handy in my desk for this purpose.

Fr. Jojo

One day Madang Airport was full of clergy on their way back to their respective mission territories after attending the retreat in Madang. Thus mixing that day at the airport with the clergy was an opportunity too great to miss. One of those I met was Fr. Jose Maria 'Jojo’ Maximiliano, a Filipino. After introducing myself as a Filipino Incola, he overwhelmed me with his own Legion of Mary involved and dedication. Way back during his seminary days, he had served as the Spiritual Director of the Regina Angelorum Jr. Curia of the Senatus of Northern Philippines. Before he was ordained (early 80’s) and everywhere he was assigned, he would find himself as Spiritual Director of his parish praesidia or a nearby Curia. He had been in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea for just a year and he hope I could work in his area in Waigani. He mentioned that just before leaving Manila in 1992, he established a praesidium at the Greenbelt Chapel.

Surprise

Now I informed him that that is my own curia’s territory. What a blessing to talk with someone about our mutual legionary friends. He got the surprise of his life when I told him I was merely three years in the Legion when I became Incola in 1988, we continued our conversation in the plane with him coaxing me to move to Port Moresby and even informing me that he had invited the members of the Greenbelt praesidium to do a seminar in Port Moresby.

Now I am back in Manila. It is spiritual recharging days, I join my old praesidium, attend our Curia which is now a Comitium and I get invited to the Senatus to share my Incola experiences and to encourage other unattached members to give a year or two to mission. Sometimes I long to be back to this quite post by the sea where the people take time to stoop and talk, not to mention their eagerness to know more about God and Mary who loves them so.