IN MEMORIAM

S. MARIA NATIVIDAD FABI GOLES, RVM

(December 25, 1923 – September 13, 2021)

On December 25, 1923, when the whole world was rejoicing to celebrate the birth of the King of Kings, a simple and religious couple of Palo, Leyte, Juan Goles and Cornelia Fabi, was given a reason to double their celebration. They were gifted with their first born, Natividad, who they jubilantly welcomed. She was baptized on January 5, 1924 and was confirmed on February 17, 1924. She grew up with her six siblings (4 girls and 2 boys) in an environment of love and religiosity. Her mother disciplined them with love, kindness, understanding, and firmness. Both her parents were very close to the Church, so they were trained to be prayerful and responsible children. Most of their time was spent for their devotions and services to the Church.

She finished her primary education at Palo Elementary School while her intermediate and secondary educations were taken at Leyte Central Academy. She finished first year Junior Normal before she entered the Religious of the Virgin Mary. She took her college education during her juniorate years and part of her being a perpetually professed Sister at St. Mary’s College, Quezon City and Sacred Heart College, Catbalogan City respectively.

Her vocation to religious life sprouted and she started nourishing it when she was in seventh grade. A short talk at their town plaza, just in front of Palo Parish Church, with Mother Maria Andrea Montejo, then Superior General, was the turning point in the life of the young Natividad. The said significant event roused her hidden desire to follow Jesus.

She was accepted to postulancy on November 16, 1947 and was invested to noviceship on May 23, 1948. She made her perpetual profession of vows on October 30, 1955. On May 24, 1975 and on February 02, 2000, she rejoiced with gratitude for the twenty-five and fifty years of consecrated life.

She was in the education ministry for fifty years as a teacher, principal, local superior, and local econome. Although she had embraced different roles, it was teaching kids that she was particularly in love with. She also had interest in music, and she put that interest into good use in her missions. In the year 2000, she was assigned in the retreat ministry. Then, in May 2007, she was transferred to St. Joseph Home for closer physical monitoring and treatment due to a fall.

In her lifetime, S. Maria Natividad was always conscious of the movement of the Holy Spirit as she stated, “from my first profession till the present, I feel the movement of the Holy Spirit, for life runs peacefully in spite of problems and trials I encountered. I considered it all as grace.” It was the grace of God that lit her missions and made her see that problems and trials were nothing compared to the beauty of eternal life as one of her favored Bible verses proclaims, “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord mighty God” (Ps. 84:1). On September 13, 2021, at 6:55 in the evening, she finally saw God’s promise of a lovely dwelling place as she succumbed to septic shock caused by Covid-19. She was ninety-seven years old and seventy-one years as Religious of the Virgin Mary.

We are indeed grateful for the gift of your person, S. Maria Natividad, to the Church and to the congregation. Your life of commitment, dedication, generosity, and joyful service for fifty years and your inner strength and endurance with pain for twenty-one years for the salvation of your soul and of others were remarkable. You acknowledged all of these with gratitude in your heart as God’s blessings.

Thank you for your love for the poor, your openness to the will of God, and your efforts to be more compassionate and non-judgmental towards others. Thank you for the example of graceful aging – maintaining deep connection with God in prayer, being cheerful, strong-willed in time of infirmities, open to doctor’s advice for your well-being, clean and organized, kind, thoughtful. You are well remembered for your generosity and Marian hospitality as you never failed to make nurses and caregivers feel at home with you. “Have a seat first and rest for a while.” Such was your expression of your loving concern whenever you noticed the tiredness of those attending to you.

May our merciful and compassionate Father welcome you in His lovely dwelling place. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, all saints, and angels in heaven envelop you with the peace, joy and love of the resurrected Christ. Farewell, our beloved S. Naty. We love you. Rest now in God’s loving embrace.

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

and let perpetual light shine upon her.

May she rest in peace. 

Amen.