IN MEMORIAM

S. MARIA PAZ AVILA CHINEL, RVM

(February 28, 1940 – September 13, 2020)

S. Maria Paz Avila Chinel, who hailed from Oras, Eastern Samar, is the fifth of seven children (2 boys and 5 girls) of Hegino Chinel and Candida Avila. The young Paz and her siblings grew up witnessing the piety and spiritual discipline of their parents. Spiritual exercises and devotions to the Saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary were faithfully practiced in their home. Love for the Eucharist was ingrained in their young minds and hearts which made Paz’ first communion experience significant. Their mother, who was a daily churchgoer, was their first teacher in catechism.

S. Maria Paz recounted that the family suffered so much from the scorn and wagging tongues of some people in the town but they remained steadfast in faith. They continued to show kindness and gave no word of revenge, while firm in the belief that God’s justice would prevail.

As a child who suffered from illness, Paz’s mother offered her to God through the intercession of St. Anthony de Padua. As early as four years old, she started joining the Flores de Mayo and catechism classes. In high school, she was an active and committed member of the Legion of Mary. She used to go to the convent of the RVM Sisters to help them with household chores and accompanied them around town for catechism classes and school promotion.

Paz finished her primary and elementary education at Oras Elementary School and had her secondary education at the Holy Cross Academy, Oras, Eastern Samar, an RVM School. Part of her college education was spent at Assumption College, Guiuan, Eastern Samar, University of Manila, and Fast Eastern University (FEU). She was in the aspirancy period when she finished Elementary Teacher’s Certificate at St. Mary’s College, Quezon City. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Education at the Immaculate Conception College, now the University of the Immaculate Conception.

Her vocation to religious life was enkindled through the presence of some RVM Sisters who journeyed with her in her high school days: S. Maria Genoveva Morano, S. Maria Obdulia Adre, and M. Maria Sousa. It was at this time that she excelled in Religious Education. Another significant person was her English teacher, Ms. Lilia Betonio, now S. Maria Coletta Betonio, who asked her students to write an essay about their dreams in life and Paz wrote “I Want to be a Nun.” The seed of her vocation was even nourished for as an adolescent, she was also exposed to spiritual as well as physical and social activities. She had trusted friends whose company she relished as they spent time for studies, recreation, and reach-out activities. She was also inspired by the spiritual reminders of her brother-priest. Most importantly, the words of M. Maria Sousa when she was in high school kept ringing in her ears, “Now that you have already a priest in the family, there should also be a Sister or one of you should enter sisterhood.”

She was in college when she decided to enter religious life. Her brother-priest did not concede to her plan, so he gave her money to enroll and finish her course in Education. Instead, she used the amount to pay for her board and lodging, laundry, and other needs because she was already preparing to leave for the convent. Her brother requested Paz to reconsider and not to enter on that particular year because their younger sister just died and Paz’s departure might intensify the grief of their mother. To appease her brother, she took examinations for midwifery and nursing, the course which she really dreamt of. She passed the exams but she was not given permission to shift to one of these courses. With much disappointment, she finally decided to enter the Religious of the Virgin Mary without the blessing of her family.

She was accepted to postulancy on February 01, 1962; she entered Noviceship on August 13, 1962 and made her temporary profession on August 15, 1964. She made her perpetual profession on December 08, 1971. She celebrated with overflowing gratefulness her Silver Jubilee on February 02, 1989 and her Golden Jubilee on August 15, 2014.

Most of her missionary endeavors were in the Region of Visayas, and most of those years were spent in Holy Cross Academy of Oras, Eastern Samar. She devoted herself as a Christian Living Teacher, Librarian, Kinder Teacher, Mother Ignacia Club Coordinator, and Econome. She loved to teach and do catechetical work. She would find time to visit her sick students and the parents of her students who made absences without excuse. She was most admired by her co-teachers and students.

S. Maria Paz was described as self-less, self-sacrificing and dependable. She can be one who can carry on a given responsibility to the full. She is contented with what was supplied by the community, interested in community goods and affairs, and faithful to asking permission. She had a sense of humor which everybody enjoyed. She was modest, thoughtful, zealous, and faithful to her spiritual duties. She was true to her name Paz which means Peace in Spanish and Golden in Hebrew. She was a peace-loving Sister, quiet, soft spoken, gentle and calm. She is real gem molded by the loving hands of God.

S. Maria Paz revealed that she had many painful experiences that affected her emotionally, psychologically, and physically, but she took them as God’s plan and way of teaching her to be strong to face life’s challenges. She tried to live with fidelity to her consecration as religious with ardent hope and longing for the time that God and the Blessed Virgin Mary will be with her in heaven. She had placed all her trust in them.

S. Maria Paz joined the bosom of the Loving and Merciful Father on September 13, 2020 at 6:30 in the evening due to acute myocardial infarction.

Thank you, S. Maria Paz, for your silent and joyful witnessing. Thank you for living your earthly life for eighty (80) years and fifty-six (56) years of which as Religious of the Virgin Mary. May Jesus, the Prince of Peace, bring complete peace to your soul. May Mary, Joseph, St. Anthony de Padua, and Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo welcome you with great joy in God’s heavenly abode. Rest in peace, our dear S. Paz. We love you.

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

and let perpetual light shine upon her.

May she rest in peace. 

Amen.