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S. MARIA REINALDA ALPEZ SISON, RVM
(September 07, 1938 - July 09, 2018)
S. Maria Reinalda Sison, born on September 07, 1938, is the fifth child among the seven children (4 boys and 3 girls) of Severino Sison, a native of Lingayen, Pangasinan, and Pia Alpez from Borongan, Eastern Samar. Three weeks after her birth, on the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, she was baptized as Candida Reinalda Sison by Fr. Francisco Palomeras. She received the sacrament of confirmation on June 15, 1946. S. Maria Reinalda and her siblings were brought up by her religious, God-fearing and disciplinarian parents.
She took her primary education at Borongan Elementary School and intermediate education at Can-Avid Intermediate School. She spent her high school and college years at St. Joseph’s College, Borongan, Eastern Samar. As a student, she was an active member of Legion of Mary and Sodality of Our Lady.
When the young Reinalda was a sixth grader, the seed of her vocation sprouted, and even though she considered it as a child’s fantasy because she was ignorant about religious life, she nourished it. That seed grew through the years amidst the discouraging reactions she got from her family, like the time they made fun of her when she expressed to them her desire to be a religious.
God’s call intensified during her secondary education at St. Joseph’s College. One day, in school, the topic in their religion class was about vocation. She noticed that she was listening more attentively than usual. She could sense her deep interest but she was saddened when she heard her teacher say, “If you desire to become a Sister, you have to leave your parents and forget the world.” With this remark, she decided not to pursue her aspiration.
The call of God haunted her again during the students’ retreat. That time, she could no longer turn her back. She started writing to different congregations except the Religious of the Virgin Mary. She recounted that when she was writing the Dominican Sisters, she could neither begin nor finish the letter. The same thing happened with her attempts to write other congregations. Amazingly, when she changed the addressee to the Religious of the Virgin Mary, she was able to compose her thoughts spontaneously.
Reinalda also yearned to be a contemplative nun and so she experienced being on a crossroad, choosing between the RVM Congregation and the Pink Sisters. In her discernment period, she prayed fervently and presented some conditions to the Lord. Providentially, by the time she received the letter from the Pink Sisters, she was also called by M. Maria Febenigna who handed over to her the letter of M. Maria Amelia Rosales. It took her time to receive her parents’ blessings but with her persistence, she left for Manila with their consent.
February 01, 1958 marked her acceptance to postulancy and August 14, 1958 to Noviceship. She made her temporary profession on August 15, 1960 and pronounced her perpetual yes to God’s call on May 31, 1966. She celebrated her silver jubilee on August 15, 1985 and golden jubilee on August 15, 2010.
From 1961 to 2006, S. Maria Reinalda actively involved herself in the Education Ministry of the Congregation as a Teacher, Principal, College Dean, Local Superior, and Directress. She spent eight (8) years in Lourdes College and seven more years after five years of being assigned to another mission. She also spent ten (10) years in St. Mary’s College of Meycauayan.
Her other mission assignments were St. Rita’s College, Balingasag, St. Mary’s High School, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, Holy Child High School, Kinoguitan, Cathedral High School, Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, Sacred Heart College, Catbalogan, Sacred Heart Academy, Guagua, Pampanga and St. Joseph College, Borongan, Eastern Samar. Her zeal, dedication, and passion for education ministry were indeed noteworthy.
In October 2005, she was confined at St. Joseph’s Home after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After her recuperation period, she was sent to the Mother Ignacia Healing Center, Bagumbong, where she spent eleven years of humble and dedicated service through the healing ministry. She patiently and compassionately listened to and faithfully transcribed the testimonies of the sick who experienced the miraculous physical and spiritual healing power of God through the intercession of Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo. A number of those healing miracles were submitted to the Vatican for the cause of the beatification of Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo.
In her life’s journey, S. Rei’s motto is “Everything is Grace.” Indeed, all the graces she received and experienced daily were all written in her journal with much gratitude in her heart. She had voluminous journals where she expressed her insights and profound gratitude for God’s daily blessings poured upon her. In fact, she has a total of 15 notebooks which contain her reflections and prayers spanning 22 years (1995-2017) She put all her heart in writing testimonies of the immense love of God for her and how she was transformed to be His own beloved. For S. Rei, in sickness and in health, everything is grace, God’s marvelous grace. Her writings revealed her deep relationship with God as she always begins her accounts with “My Beloved.”
Indeed, she herself is God’s beloved, too. Her being God’s beloved was deeply etched in her life. She was described by her Religious and lay friends and companions in community as good mission-companion, caring, affectionate, good listener, and compassionate. She discussed her thoughts and ideas objectively. She dealt with life’s situations with a sense of humor. With her prayerful and reflective demeanor, she served as a spiritual journey-companion to others. She was great woman by action and virtue. She did great things in the mission in an unobtrusive manner which spoke of her humility and simplicity.
In one of her letters to the Superior General, she recounted her weapons of having the courage to carry on in religious life. She said, “I am confident that God’s grace will never fail if I but remain faithful to Him. I also trust in the maternal guidance of my superiors, which I have always esteemed to be of great value to a persevering life.”
A day before her passing away, she was asked by a Sister about her wish. She whispered that she desires Heaven. She was asked again what form of transportation she wishes to take in her journey to heaven. Would she prefer to take a boat, airplane or jet plane? With a serene smile on her face, she whispered almost inaudibly “jet plane.” The community gathered before her joined her in her joy and excitement to be in heaven.
Her heart’s desire to be in heaven was heeded by God on July 09, 2018 at 9:15 in the morning as she breathed her last because of respiratory failure due to bilateral pleural effusion.
S. Rei, your remarkable passion for education ministry, your patient and compassionate listening and documentation of the faith-experiences of people who were miraculously touched by the healing power of God through the intercession of Venerable Ignacia del Espiritu Santo will always stamp an indelible mark of appreciation in our hearts. Thank you for the seventy nine (79) years of earthly life and fifty seven (57) fruitful and dedicated years as Religious of the Virgin Mary.
May Jesus Christ, your greatest Healer, your most Beloved, with the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo welcome you in God’s Heavenly abode. Thank you and farewell, our dear S. Maria Reinalda.
Eternal rest grant unto S. Maria Reinalda, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace.
Amen.
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