IN MEMORIAM

S. MARIA SUSANA RATO, RVM

(January 04, 1973 – January 20, 2021)

S. Maria Susana Rato who hailed from Bajawa, Flores, Indonesia is the youngest of six children (2 boys and 4 girls) of Yakobus Nay and Anastacia Kedhi. She received the sacrament of baptism on January 28, 1973 from Fr. Van Der Heyden of the Society of the Divine Word and the sacrament of confirmation on December 4, 1986 from His Excellency, Most Reverend Donatus Jagom of the Society of the Divine Word.

Susana was only nine (9) years old when her mother joined her Creator. She grew up with her sister Plasidia, the eldest in the family. She was with her sister Elisabeth during her Senior High School Education at Bajawa, Flores where she finished Economics in 1993. She completed her education with a college degree in Accountancy at Kupang, Timor in 1997.

Being brought up in a Catholic environment with faithful observance to religious practices in the family, she nurtured in herself God’s call to religious life. When she decided to enter the Religious of the Virgin Mary, she was told by her two elder sisters that if they only knew that she would become a Religious Sister, they would not have sent her to college. With strong determination and courage, Susana went to her sister Plasidia whom she confided her deepest desire. Her sister without hesitation, welcomed Susana’s intention and allowed her to follow God’s design for her.

She was accepted to postulancy on July 31, 1998 and was invested to noviceship on August 15, 1999. She made her first profession in Kupang, Indonesia on August 22, 2001 and final profession in the Philippines on March 25, 2010.

She served in the mission as a Parish secretary and financial steward in RVM communities and ministries. She also served as Finance Officer in Roh Kudus seminary.

S. Maria Susana was deeply devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to Mother Ignacia. She was prayerful, kind, patient, and gentle, and she easily empathized with the pains and struggles of her fellow Sisters. She was comfortable with simple lifestyle and manifested total trust in God’s providence. She showed her fidelity to her vocation by trying her best to understand and live the vows she professed in community and mission. She found language adaptation and cultural differences very challenging during her stay in the Philippines, but she expressed that openness, acceptance, understanding, and charity which are necessary in community living, made things easier for her. She took her experiences as God’s way of making her grow and mature as a religious.

S. Maria Susana was diagnosed with ovarian and rectal cancer and underwent surgical operations on May 11, 2016 and August 02, 2018 with chemotherapy in Indonesia. In 2019, through the encouragement of her Superiors, she requested to be treated in the Philippines. After months of going through a series of check-ups and chemotherapy, she was again asked to undergo the same procedure which led her to discern and finally decide not to undertake such treatment because she already felt tired and weak. She chose to totally entrust herself to God. She sought permission from Mother General, M. Maria Corazon Agda, and her Council to be allowed to return to Indonesia while she can still travel. She went back to Indonesia with the late S. Maria Yasintha Hoar Asa on November 1, 2019. She continued her medication until such time that she was again diagnosed with another lump that continued to grow bigger. Amidst all the medical efforts and blood transfusions accorded to her, she remained peaceful, calm and open to the will of God. She received the sacraments of the anointing of the sick, reconciliation and holy communion in the afternoon of January 18, 2021.

On January 20, 2021 at 3:40 in the morning, she completely surrendered to God, the Giver of Life.

Thank you so much, S. Maria Susana, for the gift of your person and vocation. Thank you for the forty-eight years of earthly life and nineteen years of which as Religious of the Virgin Mary.

This time, you do not need anymore the world’s young coconut water which you always wanted to drink during your illness. The heavenly water will be available for you to purify and refresh your soul forever.

May Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo welcome you in God’s heavenly abode where there is no pain, no disease but life everlasting. God’s steadfast love and faithfulness will surely envelop your beautiful soul.

Please bring to Jesus, our Divine Healer, and to all the Saints in heaven our prayers for all those who are suffering with severe illnesses. Include in your prayers our beloved Congregation and its mission in Indonesia. Rest now in God’s loving arms, our dear S. Susan. 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.