IN MEMORIAM

S. MARIA FELISA FABILE DALWATAN, RVM

(June 09, 1936 – April 23, 2016)

Sister Maria Felisa Fabile Dalwatan was born in Oquendo, Samar, the 7th child of the couple Lorenzo Dalwatan and Juana Fabile who are both from Villareal, Samar. The family migrated to Oquendo Samar because of the father’s work as Municipal Treasurer in this town. There are 9 children in a family of 5 boys and 4 girls. Two of the children, a boy and a girl aged 5 and 13, died during the war. The Dalwatan is a family of religious, one priest and three religious sisters - two Dominicans and one RVM.

Felisa was baptized in Santo Niño Parish in Oquendo, Samar and received the Sacrament of Confirmation in the same church from Bishop Acebedo who was then Bishop of the Diocese of Calbayog. Her First Communion was at age 7 when she was a kinder pupil in Milagrosa Academy run by the Dominican Sisters. The same Sisters prepared her for First Confession. On the eve of Felisa’s First Communion she spent the night in the Dominican Sisters’ Convent to be sure that she would be on time for the big event in her life, she wrote in her autobiography.

At the end of the Second World War, the family went back to Villareal, Samar where the father was again transferred as Municipal Treasurer of the place. It was here that Felisa finished her elementary grades in Villareal Elementary School and her high school in West Coast Academy. After graduating from high school Felisa was invited by her brother – priest who was then Parish priest of Guiuan, Samar, to help in the Parish Rectory and at the same time to study in Assumption College of Guiuan run by the RVM Sisters. Mother Maria Rebecca Kuinisala was then the Superior-Directress of the school. She took AB in Assumption College for only a year as she was transferred to Saint Paul College in Tacloban City where she took up Pre-Dental Course. She continued her Dentistry proper in the University of the East in Manila and graduated in 1962 and passed the Dental Board Exam in 1963. Her first job was a School Dentist and Teacher in Natural Sciences at Holy Trinity College of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, run by the Dominican Sisters. After 2 ½ years she decided to become a religious and chose to join the RVM Congregation. She communicated with Mother Maria Remedios Enriquez who told her to come to Manila November 21, 1966 to witness the Clothing Ceremony of the Novices. From Puerto Princesa she flew directly to Manila and was met by Sister Maria Edilberta Pacheco in the airport. After a few days stay in St. Mary’s Academy in Pasay City she was called to the Mother House in N. Domingo to join the other aspirants for Postulancy and Noviceship.

S. Felisa made her First Profession of Vows on November 21, 1968. As a Junior Sister she was enrolled in the Sister Formation Institute which was cut short by one semester because of the invitation of S. Maria Teresa Garcia to join the Rural Missionary. Her first assignment as a Rural Missionary was in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, with S. Josefa, CFIC and S. Maria Filomena, RVM. Their apostolates were: Farmers’ Organization, Youth Program, Catechetics, Family Life and Dental Services Free Clinic. After a year she was transferred to Bataan for the same type of work with S. Maria Aida Zablan, RVM and S. Maria Josefina Diaz, RVM.

S. Felisa asked to be assigned in a formal community set-up and was sent to San Nicolas Academy, Cebu City. Aside from her duties in school, she did Dental Services to the people of Pasil in the clinic of the Don Bosco Fathers. She stayed in San Nicolas Community for 6 months and was transferred to Palo, Leyte for there was a great need of her in the place to do Social Services. She was assigned as Social Action Coordinator and gave Dental Services to the Diocesan Schools for a year. She was back to a school setting in San Ildefonso College, Tanay, Rizal. She was a Teacher of Christian Living in both High School and College. Again after a year she was transferred to do Social Work in Corazon de Jesus Parish Darabolbol, Tarlac, for follow up work with Farmers’ Organization, Family Life, Catechetics and Youth Program. This was her last mission assignment because she was called for Tertianship in preparation for Perpetual Vows on March 4, 1977.

After her Perpetual Profession of Vows and 7 years of apostolic ministry as a Social Worker, S. Felisa was sent to the Congregation’s first Overseas Mission in Timor, Indonesia in 1977 together with S. Maria Lourdes Tan and S. Maria Auxilium Saile. They stayed in the Novitiate of the Holy Spirit Sisters (SSpS) for language studies and culture exposure for two months. On December 24, during the Christmas Eve Mass, the three pioneer missionaries were formally received by the community of Christ the King Parish, Seon, Atambua, Timor. The “Tres Marias” from the Philippines marched to the altar carrying the Baby Jesus to the manger in the altar. These three Sisters formed the first RVM Community in Seon with S. Maria Lourdes Tan as Superior and S. Auxilium Saile and S. Felisa Dalwatan, members. Their apostolate were: Health Service especially Dental Sevice, Pastoral work, teaching English in the Parochial School and out-of-school youth program for girls KURSUS RUMAH TANGGA (KRT). They stayed in Seon from 1977 – 1984 after which they were transferred to Niki-Niki and stayed there from 1984 to 1994 doing the same work as in the previous place.

In January 1992 S. Felisa had to undergo surgery in the Philippines and stayed in the Mother House in Quezon City to recuperate. After five months she was well enough to resume her work in Timor. By November 21, 1993 she was permitted to join her group in the Philippines to celebrate her Silver Jubilee in Our Lady of the Assumption Chapel in Quezon City. She went back to Timor in December 1993. It was then she began to experience physical weakness and was getting sick every now and then that needed closer medical attention. She asked to go back to the Philippines for her next assignment and was sent to St. Mary’s Academy, Pasay City as Health and Community Extension Service Coordinator. At the end of 3 years, her relatives requested the Superior General to allow S. Felisa to join them to visit relatives based in Europe and U.S. for two months. Coming back she was sent to Claveria, Misamis Oriental to do Catechetical work in 3 Public schools. It was during this time that her family made an urgent request to the Superior General to allow S. Felisa to assist her niece who suffered mental breakdown after the parents were killed by the NPA in an ambush. She was granted permission and after 1 ½ years her family decided to put her niece in an institution and S. Felisa was back to work as School Dentist and Coordinator of the Community Extension Program in MINSAC, Llorente, Samar from 1999 to 2004. The years following she was assigned to St. Mary’s College, Borongan, Samar, Our Lady of Fatima Academy, Guiuan, Eastern Samar, ICLH Urgello, Cebu City, St. Mary’s Academy, Sta. Ana, Manila and finally to the Mother House Community in 2011 for needed rest and close follow up of her physical condition. Hers was an apostolate of presence and prayer.

For 42 years as a professed sister, S. Maria Felisa was actively performing her ministry with great dedication especially in Social and Dental Services, attending to the needs of people, both here and abroad, who belonged mostly to the marginalized of society. It was only in 2011 that she was withdrawn from active ministry to rest.

S. Maria Felisa heeded the call of the Father, “Come to me all you who are weary and are burdened and I will give you rest” on April 23, 2016 at 9:30 in the morning in St. Joseph Home at the age of 79 years and 10 months and 48 years of religious life. She succumbed to pulmonary failure in the presence of the Infirmary Superior, S. Maria Remegia and S. Felisas’ sister, S. Laurencia, OP and youngest brother, Lorenzo Jr., by her bedside.

Thank you, S. Felisa, for a life well lived. You are a gift to us, to your family and friends, to our communities and ministries that you faithfully served. May the Lord whom you served with great alacrity lead you to the vision of His glory!

Eternal rest grant unto S. Maria Aquilina, O Lord, 

and let perpetual light shine upon her.

May she rest in peace. 

Amen.