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GOLDEN JUBILEE OF SR. MARY
JULIAN LIMQUICO
September 8, 2010
a_.jpg) Welcome
and thank you for joining us to celebrate
the Golden Jubilee of Profession of Sr. Mary Julian. On a beautiful summer morning, fifty years ago, in our
convent in Los Angeles, California, Sr. Julian pronounced her first vows as a
Sister of the Good Shepherd. At
that time, there was no novitiate yet here in the Philippines and we all had to
go to Los Angeles for our Novitiate formation.
But
this “golden story” did not really begin in that chapel in California. It actually began right here in this
compound which we call 1043 Aurora Boulevard. In God’s mysterious ways, He led Gloria Limquico, then a
young pharmacist by profession to this spot which then had the quaint address
of Kilometer 13, Marikina. Cubao
then was a wilderness of cogon grass and it only cost 10 centavos from Quiapo
to Cubao. But when Gloria entered
the green gate on Kilometer 13 and walked under the fragrant calachuchis lining
the driveway, she felt at home right away.
And
who introduced her to this congregation she had never heard of before? One of her officemates, Violeta
Serrano, who had studied in St. Bridget’s, Batangas, was the instrument used by
God to introduce our Jubilarian to the Good Shepherd. At that visit, Gloria met Sr. M. Francis Flynn, the new
Superior of Quezon City who had been a missionary to China and had recently
been released from house arrest by the Communists when they confiscated all the
religious houses there. Mother
Francis invited Gloria to a weekly gathering of young ladies interested in the
Good Shepherd way of life.
From
those weekly “classes” it was an easy transition to become a live-in aspirant
and get a closer look at the life and ministry of the Sisters. Being a pharmacist, she was assigned to
teach Biology and Science to the girls in St. Euphrasia’s during her
aspirancy. After a year of
aspirancy, it was time to make a decision. By now, she knew she wanted to embrace the Good Shepherd
religious life.
She
went home to Majayjay to inform her parents but her father gave an adamant “No”
for an answer. She tried several
times but her Papa refused to change his mind. Being
of age, she really did not need his permission so she decided to go ahead and
prepare for the trip to L.A. With
the moral support of her spiritual director, Fr. Guererro, and the practical
help of Sr. Ann Fiel and Fr. Bello, all the necessary preliminaries were
accomplished. A few days before
flying out, she hid in Maryridge, Tagaytay, and from there proceeded to the
airport.
At
last she reached the novitiate in L.A and had a joyous reunion with the other
aspirants she had known in Quezon City, now postulants or novices. But she carried the pain of her
father’s non-acceptance of her vocation. Thankfully, the novitiate formation passed quickly and Gloria who had
received the name Sr. Mary of St. Julian (after her father) went through the
studies and formative experiences of the noviceship, quietly hoping for a
reconciliation with her beloved parents.
Then,
on September 8, 1960, she pronounced her first vows, the anniversary we are
celebrating today. Soon after, she
was winging her way back to the Philippines as a young professed sister. It was not too long when her father
finally relented and the hoped-for reconciliation brought joy to all in the
family.
Sister
Julian’s ministry in the Philippine Province has been quite varied. She has worked with the tiny tots of
Maryridge in the early 60’s as well as the teenagers of St. Euphrasia’s and the
unwed mothers in Malabon. She was
among the pioneer sisters who taught catechism in the public schools soon after
Vatican II which allowed us to go out of the cloister and work outside.
She
enjoyed her years as teacher in St. Bridget’s, both in Quezon City and in Buhi,
Camarines Sur. She also had
several years experience of campus ministry at Philippine Normal University and
Polytechnic University of the Philippines. She considers her work with the prisoners of the Manila City
Jail as a very relevant and fulfilling ministry. An overseas assignment was her mission in Guam, working with
the teenaged girls referred by the juvenile court. These have been truly golden years for our Jubilarian and we
are glad you can join us today in thanking God for all the graces of these past
50 years.
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On the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady last September 8, Sr. Mary Julian Limquico RGS celebrated her Golden Jubilee as Good Shepherd Sister during the Eucharistic Celebration held at the Good Shepherd Chapel, 1043 Aurora Blvd., Quezon City.,a_.jpg)
Participating in the celebrations were members of Sr. Mary Julian's family, Good Shepherd Sisters from various communities, lay mission partners and friends.a_.jpg)