By Susan Severino
Susan “Yet” Severino is a close friend of the editor. She comes from Silay, Negros Occidental but at present works in Canada. In the recent past she has had a difficult encounter with cancer. She shared her thoughts privately with Fr. Niall O’Brien who asked her permission to share them with our readers. These will bring light to many who are also traveling through this dark valley.
By Avic Vera
From the start, I knew that God was leading me to make the WYD journey, the biggest blessing in my life. In 2000 I attended a retreat in Batulao with the famous Fr Armand Robleza SDB who talked about Yuppeace, an upbeat group of professional men and women, organized in 1995 to animate the Vigil for the WYD in Manila. Yuppeace has since evolved into a faith community living the WYD ideals.
I joined Yuppeace the year after, and soon became a facilitator in its various youth-centered activities. In 2002 the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) sent me and other Yuppeace facilitators as delegates to the WYD in Toronto, Canada.
By Sr. Angela Battung, rgs
Sr. Mary Angela Battung, a Filipino missionary in Canada, challenges us, the “neither beautiful nor unbeautiful ones” to get out there and do something for the poor of the world, crying out for help.
By Sr. Eden Peñanueva op
In 1987, my Dominican Superior invited five sisters to apply for the missions so I immediately applied but I did not get a positive response, instead I was assigned to help in the novitiate for almost three years. I resigned myself to the Will of God, but I made a secret promise to him: “Yes, I will forget this desire. However if there will be an opportunity to work in the mission one day, I will never say no.”
During the general Chapter in July 1990, Sr. Anne Marie Salomia, op who was assigned in Peru for almost one year was elected as one of the General Councilors in Canada and they needed one to replace her in Peru. So my Regional Superior, Sr. Bonifacia Tecson, called me up from Canada to ask if I was still willing to go to the missions. In was tongue-tied to hear such a question by phone. The saving factor was my secret promised to God. After a minute I said to Sr. Tecson, “Yes, I am willing.” That’s how it began...a yes to Him, the God of Surprises.
By Sr. Mary Angela Battung RGS
In the late 19th century, many Filipinos went and settled in Europe to continue their studies, to flee from persecution by their Spanish colonizers, or to seek reforms. They were called “Filipinos in exile”.
By Sr. Teresita Benitez, FMM
I received my first mission appointment to Canada in 1982 after living 31 years as a member of the Congregation of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary involved in the educational apostolate in the Philippines.
