IN MEMORIAM

S. MARIA ROSALINA JIMENEZ SUVA DE GUIA, RVM

(July 06, 1929 – September 14, 2021)

S. Maria Rosalina Jimenez Suva De Guia was the second child of five children (4 girls and 1 boy) of Teodorico Suva and Emilia Jimenez. Both her parents were employed at the Bureau of Health, Manila. She was born on July 06, 1929 at Sta. Ana, Manila. She received the sacrament of baptism on December 25, 1929 from Rev. Fr. Cipriano Ortiz, OFM at Sta. Ana Parish, Manila and the sacrament of confirmation in 1931 from the Archbishop Michael O’Doherty at the Manila Cathedral.

She grew up nurtured in love and faith. Her father would constantly remind her and her siblings to join the Holy Mass on Sundays and first Friday of the month. As a family, they would pray the Holy Rosary in front of the Sacred Heart of Jesus enthroned in their house by the Legion of Mary and Adoracion Nocturna. Her eldest Sister had vocation to religious life; although she did not pursue her heart’s desire, she had, in a way, influenced Rosalina to enter religious life.

Her parents sent Rosalina to Sta. Isabel College, Intramuros, Manila for her kindergarten education until the third grade so she would be prepared for the first confession and communion. She transferred to Sta. Ana Elementary School after the third grade. While in the public school, she attended catechism classes in her Parish every Sunday. At the age of 12, she started taking piano lessons. She stopped from her formal schooling during the war, but she continued her piano lessons at the Conservatory of Music at St. Theresa’s College, Manila. She took her high school education at Paco Catholic School with the Belgian Sisters.

She was a member of the Legion of Mary which was initiated by the late M. Maria Josefina Yamzon in 1945. She was also a member of the Sodality of Mary. Through her involvement in these Marian organizations, she saw the misery of the people around her and their spiritual needs, which moved her to dedicate her life to Jesus and his mission. Her exposure to catechetical work in the public schools moved her to take up teaching course.

She pursued her college education at St. Theresa’s College, San Marcelino, Manila, taking up Bachelor of Science in Education major in Mathematics and minor in National Language (Pilipino). During those years, she took her vocation seriously. She was actively involved in the Student Catholic Action where she had another chance to do catechism at the public high schools. She could hardly wait for her college graduation because she was already determined to enter a Filipino Congregation, the Religious of the Virgin Mary. Before the second semester of her last year in college, she started her application to the RVM congregation.

On April 09, 1953, with joy and sadness in their hearts, her family conducted her to SMA, Pasay where she taught Mathematics to high school students, while waiting for her formal acceptance to postulancy. S. Rosalina, together with her groupmates, were accepted to postulancy on July 31, 1953 at St. Joseph’s Novitiate. In August of the same year, she was sent to St. Mary’s Academy of Meycauayan to teach Pilipino. Three months later, she and her fellow postulants went back to the Novitiate in preparation for their habit-taking. She made her temporary profession on February 02, 1956. Her record shows that there must have been a change of her family name from Suva to De Guia during her noviceship. She pronounced her final vows on February 02, 1962. With great jubilation, she celebrated her silver jubilee on February 02, 1981 and golden jubilee on February 02, 2006.

“My food is to obey the will of the one who sent me and to finish the work he gave me to do” (Jn. 4:34). This verse from the gospel of John was her source of strength when she embarked on the mission after her intensive Juniorate program. She took her master’s degree in Education at the Ateneo de Manila when she was a Junior Sister. She served the congregation and the Church with dedication as Mathematics, Pilipino and Religion teacher, Christian Living coordinator, directress and school principal, dean of college, and college registrar. In 1975, she requested for a one year break from school work and volunteered to be one of the rural missionaries. In that mission, she was faced with the miseries of the poor, and she learned the value of justice which transformed her views in dealing with similar issues when she went back to Education ministry.

She became a resident of St. Joseph Home in 2005 for closer monitoring of her physical condition. On September 14, 2021, feast of the Exultation of the Cross, she breathed her last at 9:55 in the morning due to acute respiratory distress syndrome brought about by Covid-19. She was ninety-two years old and sixty-five (65) years of which as a Religious of the Virgin Mary. One of her favorite phrases had now come to a reality, “Know that the Lord is God! It is He that made us, and we are His.” Indeed, she is God’s beloved and to Him, she brought back her beautiful soul.

Thank you so much, S. Maria Rose, for the precious gift of your person and for the many contributions you shared in Christ’s mission especially in the Education ministry. A Sister in one of the communities where you were assigned recounted your great love for service, your generosity of time and talent both in community and ministry. Your healthy self- esteem was noteworthy as expressed in your good relationship with others. Your listening heart, gentleness, sensitivity to the needs of others, thoughtfulness, kindness, and faithfulness are remembered with gratitude by those whom your inspiring presence had touched. You had indeed grown old graciously with your good sense of humor, cheerfulness, and constant practice of “self-care” by finding time to relax, recreate, learn new things, and cultivate hobbies.

True to your chosen family name, “De Guia”, you served as guide to the ones whom you directed towards the values of Christ and the exemplary life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The rose in you radiated the fragrance of God’s goodness to those whom He had given you in your life’s journey.

May the love of Jesus which you witnessed in your lifetime return to you in abundance – the blessing of life eternal. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, all the Saints and Angels in Heaven rejoice at your entrance into the heavenly abode. Farewell, S. Maria Rosalina, S. Rose. We love you!

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

and let perpetual light shine upon her.

May she rest in peace. 

Amen.