Embedded Files
S. MARIA CONSOLACION DE SAN JOSE, RVM
(December 29, 1919 – November 08, 2017)
S. Maria Consolacion de San Jose, who was baptized Nicanora Sabarrido, is the third of eight children of Pedro Sabarrido and Leona Talbo. They were four (4) boys and four (4) girls. Her parents were both from Basey, Western Samar and were teachers in Lavizares, at the Northern coast of Samar.
She was baptized on January 10, 1920 with the name, Nicanora Sabarrido. Her father fondly called her Noling, the name derived from Rizal’s famous novel “Noli Me Tangere” because when she was still a baby she was described as “touch-me-not.”
She received the sacrament of confirmation on August 03, 1926. Her mother Leona, her teacher of basic catechism, also prepared her for first confession and communion. She experienced intensive catechetical instruction by undergoing a closed retreat in preparation for the reception of the Holy Communion with a lady whom they called “Mother Rita.” For her, receiving Jesus in the Eucharist was a great joy. Nicanora and her siblings grew up in an environment where religious piety was of great importance.
She finished her primary and intermediate education in Basey Elementary School and her secondary education at Samar High School, Catbalogan. Since she could not continue her college education yet, she took and passed a test that qualified her to be a teacher. She made great strides in the profession, truly committed and sacrificing to teach even under the sun as there were no available classrooms.
Her experience of evacuation during the Second World War brought her into solitude. Her detachment from friends as well as deprivation from taking the sacraments moved her to listen to the call within. In the midst of chaos, she had nothing to hold on to except God and the Immaculate Heart of Mary with the rosary beads in her hand.
After the war, she was drawn to become a Franciscan Sister but she missed the opportunity because she could not go without fulfilling her responsibility as the Hermana for the Immaculate Conception. After this great event in the family, she learned, through a spiritual director, about the Religious of the Virgin Mary to which she was drawn because of her devotion and love for Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Everybody close to her was against her decision except one of her sisters. Their school supervisor even called her crazy and a beggar. Yet, with immense courage, she pursued her vocation saying, “As everybody was against me, God was with me. Everything was planned by Him to make it easy for me to go.”
As a novice in exposure, her travels on bumpy roads caused her profuse bleeding which led to internal hemorrhage. She was seriously sick and was already administered extreme unction. For her, it was a near-death-experience, but she dreamt of a beautiful Lady who handed to her a medal and saved her. Her father, mother and siblings were asked to come to Manila to see her then. Their presence was a gesture of acceptance and forgiveness of her decision which gave her peace.
Before her first profession, she asked permission from Mother Maria Andrea Montejo, then Superior General, to change her name to Maria Consolacion de San Jose in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph from whom she got much consolation during her illness. She pronounced her temporary profession on February 02, 1951 and her perpetual profession on May 23, 1956. She celebrated her silver jubilee on February 02, 1976 and her golden jubilee on February 03, 2001.
As a perpetually professed Sister, she studied Bachelor of Science in Education at St. Joseph College, Borongan, Eastern Samar, St. Michael’s College, Iligan City and finally at St. Mary’s College, Quezon City where she graduated in 1967. She spent her fruitful missionary journey for fourteen (14) years in Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte as Principal in the following schools: St. Lawrence Academy, Bangui; St. Jude High School, Pagudpud; and St. Andrew Academy, Bacarra. Speaking the local dialect was difficult for her, but she realized that language is not a barrier to communication when one has sincere love in her heart for all people whom she serves. She would find time to go out of her way to meet people and get to know them. She successfully initiated the building of small Christian, worshipping and evangelizing communities in her mission assignments. Her passion for creating the small Christian communities was intensified during her month of renewal program. She was made to envision a community with no discrimination between age and color, between wisdom and ignorance, between superior and the subject. She was convinced that it is only in such a Christian atmosphere of love, mutual trust and understanding that a commitment to serve Christ and humankind could ever survive, grow and develop. She was also sent to Sacred Heart College, Catbalogan, now St. Mary’s College of Catbalogan, where she spent her missionary life as Mother Ignacia Club Moderator for 10 years and other long years at St. Mary’s Academy, Yakal as Physical Plant Supervisor.
S. Maria Consolacion is remembered by those who know her as caring, thoughtful, charitable, considerate, gentle, kind, non-judgmental, understanding, cheerful, quiet and reserved. With her stay in St. Joseph Home, she is described as self-reliant. She tried to do things on her own without depending on the assistance of the caregivers.
Her Christian community since 2004 was St. Joseph Home until she breathed her last on November 08, 2017 at 2:40 in the morning because of hypoxia due to cardiac arrhythmia at the age of ninety-seven (97) years old.
Thank you, S. Maria Consolacion, for your perseverance and courage to carry on your religious vocation to the end, amidst the many challenges you encountered. Thank you for the sixty-six (66) years as Religious of the Virgin Mary. On this year, as the Philippine Church celebrates the year of communion of communities, we remember you in a special way for in your own little way, you initiated creating small Christian communities of faith, hope, charity and unity.
May our Blessed Mother, the Our Lady of Consolation, and St. Joseph, your beloved patron, bring you to a real and everlasting Christian community of love, peace and joy. Farewell to you, our dear S. Nicanora, S. Maria Consolacion.
Eternal rest grant unto S. Maria Consolacion, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace.
Amen.
Report abuse