Embedded Files
S. MARIA SUSANA GATDULA URBINA, RVM
(August 14, 1923 – May 09, 2020)
S. Maria Susana Urbina first saw the light of day on August 14, 1923. She was the seventh of twelve (12) children of Macario Yambao Urbina and Constancia Alger Gatdula. She was baptized on September 30, 1923 and received the sacrament of confirmation on October 11, 1923. Being the seventh child, she was considered as the lucky charm of the family, especially in their bakery business. She was brought up in a religious environment together with her siblings. Her mother who once had a vocation to the religious life was very pious, a daily church goer, and a devotee of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Her father was a great narrator of folk tales, lives of the saints, and other religious stories. He used to tell her and her siblings stories about the young Jesus.
The young Susana, through the recommendation of one of her relatives, M. Maria Potenciana Librojo, became an intern at the Beaterio de la Compañia De Jesus when she was in the fifth grade. She worked as “porterita” during her free time as payment for her board and lodging. However, she left the Beaterio to finish her sixth and seventh grades in Cabuayao, Laguna, but returned when she was in High School and stayed until first year college. The seed of her vocation to religious life started to grow in her high school days when she applied for aspirancy. Her college education was halted due to the second world war as all students in the Beaterio were sent home.
When the whole family was in the evacuation area during the second world war, Susana made use of her time by teaching catechism and preparing the neighboring children for first communion. It was during this time that she strongly heard the call of God. She recounted that her soul was yearning for something higher, something heavenly and spiritual. It was also in this time of her prayer and reflection that she was sought by two RVM Sisters in their residence with an invitation for her to see Rev. Mother Maria Andrea Montejo in Singalong, Manila. She appealed to her mother to bring her to Singalong, and despite her family’s unwillingness to grant her permission, she followed her heart’s desire. She had to let go of many opportunities, like rewards and honor for academic excellence and comfortable life, for her vocation.
Her first entrance to postulancy was on July 31, 1942, but she was confronted with unbearable trials which led her to return home. However, her vocation continued to persist, and with the help of M. Maria Corazon Francisco and another Sister, she started again her postulancy on February 1, 1943. She was accepted to noviceship on August 14, 1943. Her early years of formation were indeed an ordeal as she and her contemporaries had to go from one place to another in Bulacan to avoid Japanese soldiers. She pronounced her first vows on August 15, 1945 and made her perpetual profession of vows on May 24, 1951. She celebrated her silver jubilee on August 15, 1970 and golden jubilee on August 15, 1995.
She served the Congregation and the Church as teacher, librarian, registrar, and school administrator. She became a regional secretary and a secretariat staff at the Generalate. She was also assigned in Betania Retreat Houses in Quezon City and Pansol, Laguna where her creativity and skills in art were put into use. She was a resident of St. Joseph Home from 2003 until her last breath.
S. Maria Susana was an artist and a writer. She wrote articles, essays, and spiritual poems. She loved poetry and wrote a good number of beautiful poems, two hundred (200) of which were compiled and published as a book. She was also passionate in beautifully decorating chapels and in making greeting cards for all occasions.
S. Maria Susana’s life was as colorful as her poetry and greetings although it was not a bed of roses. She experienced being humbled, misunderstood, rejected, and other discouraging conducts towards her, but in all those years of struggle when she was at the verge of giving up, the Lord always intervened. God’s grace and love for her was indeed immeasurable. She was strengthened by her faith that the Lord chose her among so many thousands. On her golden jubilee she exclaimed, “What a glorious grace I will not be able to thank for till my last breath. Love, praise, and glory be to God and Jesus, my spouse.” When her health was deteriorating and she was confronted with physical pain, she refused any surgical procedure for she would like to suffer the pain as her purgation here on earth and lessen her experience of purgatory in the next life. Her longing for God was undeniable. On her diamond jubilee she wrote, “Only the Love of God counts, thanks for creating me, for calling me to religious life, for graces, blessings and talents God has given me during my lifetime as religious. It is only your love that I cherish and value till the end of my life. . . which I have extended to others for your sake.”
Some of her last written words included “If ever I have offended anyone. . .please forgive me; it is not deliberate, but an unknowing result of my weaknesses.”
S. Maria Susana breathed her last on May 09, 2020 at 11:44 in the morning due to acute coronary syndrome.
Thank you, S. Maria Susana for the ninety-six years of earthly life and seventy-five years as Religious of the Virgin Mary. In one of your poems, you ardently prayed these lines:
Lord, favor me with Your image…
Show me Your person, Your Sacred Face That would be enough heaven for me.
Gazing lovingly with awe on my reverent knee. . .
I desire to see Your awesome face
The delight of Mary, the Angels, and the Saints:
A glimpse of You is boon enough.
To carry me through life – smooth or rough.
The time has come for your heart’s desire to turn into reality, S. Susana. May the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, all the Angels and Saints in heaven welcome you with everlasting peace and joy. We rejoice with you and will continually pray for you as we ask you to pray for us. Farewell, S. Maria Susana. We love you.
Eternal rest grant unto S. Maria Susana, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace.
Amen.
Report abuse