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S. MARIA ERLINDA CAGATAN CABILIN, RVM
(December 15, 1942 – January 08, 2018)
S. Maria Erlinda Cagatan Cabilin was from Bagting, Dapitan City, a few steps away from the historic Rizal Park. She was the first child of eight children of Filomeno Cabilin and Amada Cagatan (six girls and two boys). Most people knew her birthday to be January 16, 1943. However, her baptismal record, autobiographical note, and an affidavit from Salvador Empeynado and Sustenesa Jamarolin, residents of Dapitan City, revealed that she was born on December 15, 1942, and was baptized on January 16, 1943. She was confirmed on July 25, 1946.
Her parents were devout Catholics who taught her and her siblings the rudiments and importance of prayer, fidelity to the reception of the Holy Eucharist, devotion to the Saints and discipline. She came from a simple family that provided her with the basic needs and opportunity to study. In her growing years, she learned how to farm and labor by her hands and how to love nature and animals. Her family were descendants of one of the great Tiruray women during the time of our hero Jose Rizal, in Dapitan.
She finished her elementary education at Dapitan Central School, and high school at Zamboanga Provincial High School, Dipolog City. She completed Collegiate Secretarial Science Diploma at St. Vincent’s College where she worked right after graduation.
She was into music and the arts. During her college years, she was a member of the school orchestra, which further developed her passion for music and skill in singing. She was known as the “Timi Yuro” of Dapitan City because she sang like the famous classical international singer in the 70’s. Aside from being a singer, she was also a writer in their school organ/publication. She also had a special skill in stenography and typing.
The seed of vocation of S. Maria Erlinda sprouted with an admiration for the RVM Sisters. Every time she saw them going to Church, she just could not help but stare at them in awe. When she began to work at the City Hall of Dapitan as Records Clerk at the age of 21, she met the Sisters of the Daughters of St. Paul. She inquired about their life and was disheartened upon learning of the dowry. She then forgot about her dream until the time she got sick of fibro adenoma on her left breast and underwent surgery. She prayed hard for healing and promised to serve the Lord if she ever got well. When the Lord heeded her plea, she had already forgotten about her promise. But God had his way. S. Maria Erlinda had the chance to join a Cursillo for women, which was instrumental in her vocation to religious life. Her spiritual director accompanied her to St. Mary’s Academy in Dipolog City where she met S. Maria Salome Olvis, who assisted her in her entrance to the Religious of the Virgin Mary.
She entered postulancy on February 02, 1972 at the Sacred Heart College, Catbalogan, Western Samar, and had her noviceship in Quezon City. On August 15, 1974, she pronounced her first profession of vows and on February 02, 1981 she made her perpetual profession. On August 15, 1999, she celebrated with gratitude her silver jubilee. This year marks her forty-third (43rd) year as Religious of the Virgin Mary.
She pursued Bachelor of Science in Education as a Junior Sister in Lourdes College. She finished Licentiate in Canon Law at the University of Sto. Tomas which she made use through the invitations of some Bishops in several dioceses and served as a member of the Diocesan Marriage Tribunal and would generously helped the Congregation through M. Maria Evelyn Aguilar on certain provisions in the Canon Law. She also took up Masters in Educational Management at Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City.
She served the Congregation and the Church as Christian Living and Theology Teacher, Secretary, Administrator, Local Superior, Physical Plant In-charge, Christian Formation Coordinator, Assistant Land Development In-charge and Vocation Animator. She spent most of her life in the Region of Northern Mindanao and in Eastern Samar, Region of Visayas. She was also an overseas missionary assigned as Secretary in the Apostolic Nunciature at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and Accra, Ghana, West Africa.
S. Maria Erlinda kept in her heart love for the mission and was particularly fond of her mission in Ghana. She had the so-called “African Fever” which is loosely defined by some Sisters as deep love for African mission amidst its numerous difficulties. She claimed that she left a part of herself in Ghana. She believed that her years in the mission outside the Philippines molded her to be more enduring, patient, humble and caring of her fellow RVM Sisters.
Throughout her years of journey, S. Maria Erlinda’s love for the arts never faded. She continued expressing herself through drawing and writing poetry, and she never stopped her music. One of her Sisters in the group said that she could have been an unrivaled contender, if not undefeated, in the show Pilipinas Got Talent with her skill of whistling a song as beautiful and tranquil as an eagle soaring in the sky. She also played ukulele and guitar with exceptional skill and creativity. And as a Junior Sister, she loved to sing with all her heart the song entitled “Best Friend” composed by Helen Reddy. Here is the song,
“Would you take a better care of yourself
Would you be kinder to yourself
Would you be more forgiving of your human imperfections
If you realized your best friend was yourself.
Who is always with you everywhere
Who is on your side when others are unfair
And tell me, who will never let you down in any situation
Who will always see you get your share.”
And that’s why I am a best friend to myself
And I take me out whenever I feel low
And I make my life as happy as a best friend would
I’m as nice to me as anyone I know.
Surely enough, S. Maria Erlinda is well-remembered for the beauty of her music and even more so, for the beauty of her heart. She epitomized poverty, simplicity, and truth. She was straightforward and an advocate of justice, but she remained softhearted and compassionate. Being the eldest of nine novices, her batchmates fondly called her with respect “Ate Lynn”, an Ate in the real sense of the word. She was strict but protective of her mga kapatid. She loved the group in her own silent way. She was someone who had great love and concern for the disadvantaged in society and had a soft spot for animals and nature. She was also known as free-spirited, with quick wit and sense of humor.
On January 08 at 12 past 5 in the afternoon, S. Maria Erlinda succumbed to cardiac arrest due to pneumonia. With her passing, her students wrote “we seem to have lost a kind, generous, and loving Sister, a mother, and a grandmother. But we gained an angel above who will continue to guide us in our path.” We know for sure that we have an angel singing to us her song, Best Friend, and assuring us that we do not journey alone.
Thank you, S. Maria Erlinda, for the gift of your life to us and to others whom you have served. Thank you for the seventy-five years of earthly life and forty-three years as Religious of the Virgin Mary. You gave your final Yes to God our Father on the feast of the Baptism of His Son, our Lord. Indeed, your death was a baptism to new life, a baptism to eternity as St. Paul says in his letter to the Romans: “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” S. Lynn, Ate Lynn, certainly, you now traverse the road to newness of life with Jesus, your real Best Friend. Remember us as we continue our journey here on earth. Farewell to you, our dear S. Linda.
Eternal rest grant unto S. Maria Erlinda, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace.
Amen.
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