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Installation of the New Provincial Superior of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians
Installation of the New Provincial Superior
of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians-Philippines and Papua New Guinea Province
By Sr. Princess Mae Ortiz, FMA
Don Bosco School, Sta. Mesa, Manila – In the midst of the dark clouds of the pandemic that cover the entire world, on June 29, 2021, Solemnity of Sts.
Peter and Paul, a New Pentecost has descended upon the entire Philippines–Papua New Guinea Province as the
Installation of the new Provincial Superior, Sr. Teresita
C. Padron, FMA, the 7th Provincial Superior of the
Philippine Province, took place at the Don Bosco School
Chapel, Sta. Mesa, Manila. As the Apostles gathered in the upper room, the entire FMA Provincial Community also gathered online at 10:00 AM to celebrate this momentous event in the life of the Province. The Solemn Eucharistic Celebration was presided by
His Excellency, Bishop Broderick Pabillo, D.D., Apostolic
Vicar-elect of Taytay, Palawan, and was attended only by the FMA Communities of Manila: the Provincial House,
Laura Vicuña Center, Pius Ladies’ Dormitory, and Don
Bosco School. The Eucharistic celebration began with the tribute and symbolic ritual of expressing our thanks for the service rendered by Sr. Mabel Pilar, FMA, the outgoing
Provincial Superior. In her message, she began with the words taken from the Psalm 118: “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad!” for the tangible presence of the Lord and our Blessed Mother in the past six years of the journey and life of the Province. She particularly addressed Sr. Teresita her gratitude for saying YES in this mandate that has been entrusted to her.
She invited her to embrace the delicate mission with the heart of the Good Shepherd with the same Spirit that spurred Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello with the missionary impulse that is so alive even in our present time.
Sr. Mabel gave the assurance to Sr. Teresita of her accompaniment and prayers of the intentions of Sr. Teresita and the Province, and to our brothers and sisters in need. She reminded her of the presence of Mary Help of Christians and invited her with the words of Jesus Himself: “Do not be afraid, I am with you.”
To all the Sisters in the province, she invited them to be signs and bearers of God’s love for the young.
The handing over of the statue of the shepherdess and off ering it before the statue of our Blessed Mother symbolizes the reality that it is our Blessed Mother who is the true Superior of all our houses.
Bishop Pabillo, in his homily, pointed out that in doing God’s will all the other things will be provided for. He assured us, as Jesus assured Peter, that whatever happens, God is always with us. He promised his everlasting protection. He also invited us to be faithful to the teachings of the Pope as Don Bosco was despite the many diffi culties that are creeping into the life of the Church. Be strong in our commitment to take care of the family.
During the Prayers of the Faithful, special prayers were off ered for the new members of the Provincial Council: Sr. Debbie Ponsaran, Sr. Maria Josefi na Carrasco, Sr. Maria Elizabeth Marquez, Sr. Rachel Melissa Flor, Sr. Maria Pamela Vecina, and Sr. Maria Victoria Sta. Ana. Prayers were also off ered for the newly appointed community animators: Sr. Debbie Ponsaran, Sr. Rachel Melissa Flor, Sr. Teresa Lorenzo, Sr. Arlene Rafaela, Sr. Lyn Yap, Sr. Veneranda Casala, Sr. Catherine Urgello, Sr. Maricor Ortañez, Sr. Gertrudes Candelaria, Sr. Rica Cebuano, Sr. Phebe Lacse, and Sr. Lilimae Escasinas.
They also off ered candles in their respective communities and were streamed live via Zoom.
Via live-stream, Mr. Walter San Diego, the chairperson of the Provincial Educating Community Core Group, led the welcome ritual on behalf of all the members of the Provincial Educative Community who were represented by the personnel of Don Bosco School.
Sr. Teresita opened her message with the lines from the scriptures: “God is gracious and His love endures forever.” She highlighted her deep and tangible experiences of God right from the moment she received her obedience from Mother Yvonne Reungoat last February 9. Despite the fears and inadequacies, she is secured of the profound certainty of God’s presence.
With full trust and confi dence, she accepted this mandate coming from God. It is in the awareness of her limitations and fears that she acknowledged the reassuring presence of God in this delicate mission that she is called to assume. It is also here that she takes our Blessed Mother by the hand, asking her to walk with her day by day.
Sr. Teresita expressed her gratitude to all those people who have been with her all throughout her journey.
Sr. Teresita Cainglet Padron, FMA is the 4th of 7 children of the late Dr. Ernest C. Padron, and Mrs. Juliana Uy-Cainglet, born on May 16, 1966, in Cebu City.
She completed her basic education at the Colegio de San Jose Recolletos, Cebu, and her Bachelor’s degree major in Economics at St. Theresa’s College, Cebu. She obtained her Master of Arts in Education major in Educational Administration at the Ateneo de Manila University. She also attended the Course for Formators in Rome, Italy.
She was a Principal in several FMA schools in the Philippines. In the Province, she also served as Provincial Councilor, Youth Ministry Coordinator, Provincial Team Coordinator, Commission on Education (COMED) Coordinator of the three FMA school sectors: Higher Education Schools, Basic Education Schools, and the Technical Vocation Institutes, COMED Head for Basic Education Schools, Delegate to the Provincial Educating Community Core Group, and Community Animator.
Sr. Teresita fi rst met the Salesian Sisters at the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Punta, Cebu when she was in 4th year high school. She decided to become an FMA as she started seeking God’s will in her life and in fi nding meaning in all things that she is doing.
Sr. Teresita’s Installation Message
Let us continue to walk together in gratitude to God for His abounding love, mercy and compassion. May we continue to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and accept daily his invitation to grace and conversion so we can live life to the full and enjoy the fullness of the spiritual graces God has in store for each one of us. Let us strengthen our love and devotion to our Blessed Mother entrusting ourselves to her maternal love, care and protection. With her, let us build relationships and make our communities a seedbed where life grows in its fullness and where holy vocations are born. May we be for our young people missionaries of joy and hope in this modern time forever faithful to the charism handed on us by our dear founder St. John Bosco and our co-foundress St. Mary Mazzarello. Th is new Pentecost in the life of the Province is indeed a time to be grateful for the journey that has been and for what lies ahead in the next six years in the life of the Province.
