From the Good Shepherd Sisters in the Philippines

"Gratitude is the Memory of the Heart"

 

By Sr. Cecilia Torres RGS
Province Leader, Good Shepherd Sisters

This a
French saying often quoted by St. Mary Euphrasia, foundress of the Good
Shepherd Congregation. It is a saying that we are sure of is so well entrenched
in the memory and heart of Sr. Mary Assumption. It is a saying whose echo
reaches various parts of the world where Good Shepherd Sisters are.

Gratitude
is the memory of the heart. 

To the
family of Sr. Mary Assumption we repeat these words. From the family that
nurtured her early life and was not a hindrance as she journeyed and discerned
what was God’s will for her, to the present generation of  Ocampos and Hizons who have been
faithfully giving her love that she so richly deserves in her later years.  The Good Shepherd Sisters thank Sr.
Assumption’s family for such an outpouring of love.

To the
various communities of Good Shepherd Sisters in the Philippine Province, let us
rejoice and be united in proclaiming these words of gratitude. As our eldest
sister in the province, and a true daughter of St. Mary Euphrasia, Sr.
Assumption exemplified to us what “Do well all that you do”  really meant. She did all things
well,  from her years as teacher,
principal, dean at St. Bridget’s College in  Batangas, to her being youth agency worker and councilor in
a crisis intervention in Manila in the early 40s, to her involvement in the
publications department in Angers, to her mission in Venezuela as assistant superior
of the State Women Prison, to being provincial secretary and assistant
accountant and prison administrator; to her work as economic program
coordinator for poor college girls in Baguio, then supervisor of programs for
youth in Buhi and later as supervisor of Mountain Maid Maid Training Center.
Even in her quiet years she was showing us what aging gracefully meant.

We say
thank you to all the Good Shepherd Communities, contemplative and apostolic for
their prayers and love for Sr. Assumption, expressed in various ways all these
years.

To Sr.
Guadalupe Bautista and the sisters of  Baguio Community who provided the care and love each day to Sr.
Assumption and who cheered her up when she needed it. We say thank to all the
caregivers, Fe, Cherry, Melba and  Lerma
who looked after her and who were her companion for years and provided her the
space she needed for quiet and prayers. The sisters and caregivers, by their
stories and conversations were her windows to the world beyond the convent and
her room. We thank Dra. Cabatu for her fidelity and healing care..

We echo
again the words, Gratitude is the memory of the heart, to our Sisters from
Venezuela who welcomed Sr. Assumption in the 60s when Vatican II  opened more possibilities for sisters
to reach out and express the compassion of  Jesus the Good Shepherd to those in need. We thank Sr.
Martha Villegas. province leader of Venezuela, all the Good Shepherd
communities in that country and all sisters whom Sr. Assumption met in the
missions for joining us in prayers especially during these days. To our Good
Shepherd family worldwide, we will continue to accompany Sr. Assumption with
our prayers.

To all
those who are here, members of the family, relatives and friends, Good Shepherd
Sisters from the different communities, staff, Bishop Federico Escaler, Fr.
Chito Unson,  the priests and
religious men and women, We thank you for coming to celebrate and rejoice with
us as we accompany Sr, Mary Assumption to her resting place, where she will
dwell forever,  Maraming Salamat
po.