A Vocation Journey From Kanla-On To Taiwan

By Sr Ma. Adoracion de los Santos DC

My parents were both from Cebu. They evacuated to Negros Oriental during the Japanese occupation, then moved back to Dumanjug, Cebu, in the early 1950s. My birthplace is Alibabay, Kanla-on, Negros Oriental, but I grew up in Dumanjug.

I am the eldest in our family and have three brothers and a sister. Our family’s source of income was farming and fishing, though sometimes my father did carpentry jobs. Thanks to God’s generosity in gifting my father with skills in carpentry, his income from this was a big support to our family, especially for our high school expenses.

My childhood was a combination of happy and sad experiences, all memorable, because I learned many good lessons from them. One happy experience was to see my father rowing our boat ashore loaded with fish. How I loved to watch the expression on his face, one of joy and gratitude to God for having blessed him, as he’d signal to us, while still a few meters from the shore, to get an extra basket because he and his companions had made a good catch that morning.

When typhoon came

One sad experience was when a strong typhoon hit our place. Our crops, corn, coconuts, bananas and vegetables were destroyed by the flood and our hogs and chickens died. When my parents encountered a stressful situation like this, my mother, in particular, was very strict. Sometimes we got a good scolding when we disobeyed her. However, I knew she was a good, kind, caring and loving mother and that she knew what she was doing.

School memories

I have fond memories of classmates, cousins, friends and teachers in the public elementary school I attended. I then enrolled in Little Flower School, owned by the Archdiocese of Cebu, under the direction of Father Francisco Silva, a role model for us. But by the time I graduated, it was under the Society of the Oblates of Notre Dame, the OND Sisters. In high school I started to think about the value and meaning of a religious vocation.

Door to religious vocation

By Divine Providence, after high school, I met the Daughters of Charity. After more than two years of observation that included working in the Provincial House in the Philippines, and then as a lay missionary in Tien Mu, Taipei, Taiwan, in Lourdes Home, a child-caring home for deprived children, I decided to join the community. I had my aspirancy in Tien Mu from November 1976 to March 1977 under the direction of Sr Maria Santos DC.  I then went back to the Philippines to start postulancy under Sr Luz Roma DC, a time for getting to know myself and the community better.

Molded by the community

Twenty of us entered the novitiate on 2 February 1978 with Sr Irene Orqueta DC, an outstanding disciplinarian, as our Sister Directress. I learned much from her good example. There were painful moments as my ‘shadows’ surfaced to the gut level of my person. Yet the grace of God generously unfolded my way. With the help of Sr Julma Neo DC I was able to hold on to my commitment to serve God in the poor. Much of her input was centered on the practice of the spirit of the Community - humility, simplicity and charity - repeated in the conferences of St Vincent de Paul. Our classes, personal reflection, group sharing, recreation, regular get-togethers and apostolic experiences helped me to be open to whatever guidelines were given to us in formation. Sister Julma is now a member of the General Council of the Daughters of Charity, representing Asia, living at the motherhouse in Paris, France.

First Assignment

After Juniorate I was sent to Miraculous Medal Mission, Tainan, Taiwan, where the Sisters were very supportive during my initial adjustment. I didn’t stay long, because I had to go to language school where I studied Mandarin for eight months. I found it very difficult at first, the way of writing the strokes and symbols being very complicated and confusing. But as time went on, I got more interested, especially when I started learning how to read and write Chinese characters.

My first vows

After language studies I went to far away Penghu, or Pescadores Islands, where the people we serve, all Buddhists, are simple, very welcoming and friendly to us. I stayed for eight years in this mission and had many beautiful experiences, making my First Vows there, on 2 February 1983, in the presence of Sister Hilda Gleason DC, the first Regional Superior of Taiwan Vice-Province, being the most memorable.

After Penghu, I went back to the Philippines to study social work in Concordia College, Manila. Thank God, I passed the board exam.

Back to Taiwan

I returned to Taiwan in 1992, to an apostolate I loved and enjoyed, serving the elderly in St Francis Home, Ilan Hsien Toucheng. However, after less than two years I was sent to Taipei to once again serve the children in Lourdes Home. This was very difficult and challenging because many of the children have deep-seated behavioral problems. However, it is good to not always feel comfortable but to trust in God’s continuous guidance and assistance.

In 1995 I was sent to work with the Aboriginal Community. St Vincent de Paul Mission is in the south of Taiwan. Our pastoral service is among two of Taiwan’s nine Aboriginal tribes, the Bunun and Rukai tribes. Mieshan village in Taoyuan Country is the farthest of all the six villages we serve and takes two hours to reach by motorcycle. My first trip was the most difficult, because it was raining and there were falling rocks. I spent three hours on that long and winding road.

Surrounded by Catholics

The people in the villages are mostly Christians. It was very interesting working with people who are mostly Catholic, unlike my previous assignments where there were very few Christians. God is so good to me. I am free to share the Good News, teach catechism, prepare adults and children for baptism and First Holy Communion, and so on. The people are cooperative and responsible in parish activities. One of their favorite celebrations is the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus when we have a procession, lasting more than an hour, from one village to the village where our parish church is. The parishioners are very enthusiastic and joyful in carrying the large statue of the Sacred Heart.

Missionary Gift

My present apostolate in the mountain gives me new insights in my life as a missionary. I see that the call of service in the mountain is the same call of service in the city, though the setting is different. The enthusiastic response of the Aborigines, the wisdom of the old people, the innocent faith of the children, the hopeful faces of the prisoners and the total trust of the children with disabilities whom I have served in the past 25 years are indeed a ‘Precious Vincentian Missionary Gift.’