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S. MARIA AIDA SONTO ZABLAN, RVM
(April 20, 1930 – October 14, 2017)
“I hear the cry of the poor every day and I am ready to respond to the call. I offer my life for Christ for the development of His people, for salvation and freedom from the slavery of sin, and freedom from the corruption of the powerful. God has put me here and I believe I do it with God-in-me doing it. This is my prophetic role”. This was the personal mission statement of S. Maria Aida as she followed God’s mission in chastity, poverty and obedience.
S. Maria Aida is the eldest of the nine children of Dominador Zablan of Concepcion, Tarlac and Emilia Sonto of Tanza, Cavite. Her family resided in San Roque, Cavite since her father worked as a mechanic in Cavite Navy Yard while her mother ran a business. Her parents were both pious Catholics. Her mother was a daily communicant and her father was a member of the Adoracion Nocturna. Both have been a great influence to the spiritual life of their children since one brother of S. Maria Aida became a Trappist Monk.
She was baptized on May 04, 1930 in the Parish of San Roque, Cavite and confirmed at the Manila Cathedral when she was seven years old. She received her first communion through the assistance of a catechist in San Roque Elementary School, Cavite.
In December 1941, when the war broke out, the family evacuated to Conception, Tarlac. They stayed with their grandmother whom she described as a daily mass-goer and communicant. The young Aida was exposed to praying the angelus and rosary. In the midst of war, her grandmother prayed the Chaplet of the Blessed Trinity aloud with all her might. S. Maria Aida believed that prayer kept them from harm.
As a child, she experienced playing with her cousins in the market yard, escaping from classes, climbing trees, and taking a bath in the river. But amidst this playfulness, the young Aida was also into goodwill. She had her initial encounter with the poor Jesus. There was an old beggar in the market who could hardly see. Aida would accompany him to beg as he could not walk by himself. Other people thought that she was the granddaughter of the beggar but she did not mind them.
She had her first and second year high school education at the Little Flowers Academy, Tarlac, and St. Mary’s Academy, Manila respectively. She spent her last two years in high school at the University of Sto.Tomas where she also finished her college education. She was a working student during her first two years in college for she wanted to experience that life. She graduated with a degree in Education major in Filipino and History. While waiting for a teaching job, she took up Catechetics in Sta. Isabel College. She worked in San Roque Parish where she became a member of the Legion of Mary. She organized block rosary and parish youth organization. At times people would call her to assist a dying person after receiving the last sacrament.
With all her spiritual experiences, she was inspired to place herself in the hands of God. However, her dream turned upside down when she was offered marriage. It was a crucial moment for S. Aida because her parents liked the man for her.
S. Aida got engaged and while her fiancé was in Mindanao for work, she continued her legionary apostolate. She had a close retreat in Manresa where she was inspired by the life of St. Teresa of Avila and felt a strong call to become a religious. She expressed her desire to enter the congregation to which the Sister in-charge of Manresa belonged, but she was refused because of her engagement. She sought guidance from Fr. Francisco Parici of the Society of Jesus who helped her discover she was fit for religious life. She exposed herself to different congregations as advised by M. Maria David, RVM who later assisted her in her entrance to the Religious of the Virgin Mary. However, her spiritual director would not recommend her unless she is released from her engagement. She wrote her fiancé many times and many times she got no reply. She persisted until her fiancé felt the gravity of her desire to enter religious life. Her engagement was not her only problem. Her mother was against her decision and she prayed hard that S. Aida would experience obstacles that would stop her from becoming a religious.
With the blessing of the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom she entrusted her desire, she was accepted to postulancy on July 31, 1957 and to noviceship on February 01, 1958. She took her final vows on February 02, 1966. On February 02, 1985, she celebrated her silver jubilee, and on February 02, 2010, her golden jubilee.
S. Maria Aida’s first and third assignments were in Holy Rosary Academy, Lubao, Pampanga with a total of seven years as classroom teacher, registrar, asst. principal and as school principal. Her second mission community was in St. Anne’s Academy, Hagonoy, Bulacan for one year as procurator. She served Christ the King College, Gingoog City for six years as teacher and in-charge of the Christian Community Formation and Extension Work of the school. From 1969 to 2003, she devoted herself to the Social Ministry of the congregation.
She started responding to the plight of the poor in 1969 when the revolutionary group, Hukbo Laban sa mga Hapon (HUKBALAHAP) infiltrated the whole of Central Luzon. The campaign of the military for total war against the HUKBALAHAP was bloody, and many innocent Filipinos were caught in crossfire. Countless families were forced to evacuate and communities were displaced. Seeing this reality, the Women Religious Association of the Philippines invited member-congregations to work for the poor victims. Eleven congregations heeded the call, including the Religious of the Virgin Mary, and S. Maria Aida was one of the seven RVM Sisters who volunteered for the mission. S. Aida was assigned to the remotest barrio in Hagonoy, Bulacan called Tibagin. She and her companions had to cross the sea by banca as they worked for the value formation of children and youth, adult catechism to parents, and health and leadership training programs.
In 1972-1977, S. Aida was sent as a rural missionary in Pilar, Limay, Lamas, Bataan. She served the fishermen and the workers of Mariveles Free Trade Zone. She was with the group she organized in its rallies against the Nuclear Power Plant in Morong. In 1979, S. Aida was missioned to Capri Mission House in Novaliches. She evangelized and organized work with the informal-settlers in Capri, the workers in the different factories surrounding Capri, the sidewalk vendors, and others.
In 1983-1988 S. Aida was assigned in Claveria, Misamis Oriental as parish worker and catechist. As a catechist, she had to stay overnight in the barrio because of its distance from the convent. She experienced bringing a wounded member of the NPA to the hospital in town together with the priest, the driver, and two other members of the NPA. They had to stop over many barracks for inspection and with S. Aida’s presence, it was without delay. She was so afraid but she was assured with the words of St. Paul to the Philippians, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.
She ministered to the poor in Payatas Mission Center, until she was transferred to the Mother House in May 2003 because of her failing health; she was suffering then from chronic leukemia. St. Joseph Home became her residence in 2015 until she breathed her last at 11:01 or nine minutes before midnight of October 14, 2017 because of hypoxia due to cardiac arrhythmia at the age of 87 years old.
There were so many incidents that put her life in danger but she would always claim that “with the grace of God I am able to withstand the challenges set before me.” This phrase remained her mantra as she did the mission for the poor whom Jesus loves.
Thank you our dear S. Maria Aida. You have been true to your personal mission statement and to the vision and mission of the congregation. We truly appreciate your courage, endurance, and great love for the poor Jesus. Your example of kindness, gentleness, compassion, self-sacrifice, and poverty of spirit will always be imprinted in our hearts and memories of you. You truly proclaimed in your life Mary’s Magnificat and Mother Ignacia’s courage and trust in the Divine Majesty. Thank you for the fifty-seven (57) spirit-filled years as Religious of the Virgin Mary.
May Jesus Christ, the lover of the poor bring you to your eternal home where true justice, peace and love dwell. May you joyfully join the feast of God’s eternal Kingdom. Farewell, our dear S. Aida.
Eternal rest grant unto S. Maria Aida, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace.
Amen.
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