+ Sr. M. Carmel Medalla RGS: I played a game with God

Sr. M. Carmel Medalla RGS (Carmelita Milano Medalla) peacefully joined Jesus the Good Shepherd on February 19, 2012 after 61 years in religious life.

Photo: Sr. M. Carmel Medalla RGS

She was 92 at the time of her death and for years faithfully reported to the Alumni Affairs Office of Mountain Maid Training Center where she devoted time to keep in touch with former students here and abroad. Her vocation to be a Good Shepherd Sister, she said was a game she played with God.

Born on December 17, 1919 to Francisca Milano and Atilano Medalla of Sto. Tomas, Batangas, Carmelita, said she learned the values of life through her parents, the Sisters and her teachers. (Read her vocation story below)

Photo: Sr. Carmel Medalla RGS (left) with her sister, Sr. Catherine Medalla RGS

Her game with God led her to leave her job as a teacher to enter the postulancy in Los Angeles on February 8, 1950 and that same year on September 8, she was given the religious habit. The call to follow the Shepherd was strong that she made her first profession of vows on September 8, 1952 in Los Angeles and her final profession of vows on April 24, 1956 in Quezon City.

Her readiness to serve the women and girls brought her once again to work as teacher at Pelletier School in Baguio City when she and several sisters founded the Good Shepherd community  in the pine city.

From 1952 -1965 she was a teacher in Baguio and with her companions laid the foundations of the Good Shepherd apostolate with the indigenous peoples in the Cordillera. She served as local leader of the community from 1966-1972 and was later called to help in the ministry to urban poor families in Sta. Ana through the Kaunlaran Multi-Purpose Center. She attended to the needs of the poor as community worker,  religion teacher, family life worker and treasurer.

Photo: Good Shepherd Statue at the MMTC  Alumni Affairs Office.

She was sent again to Baguio from 1987-2003 as treasurer of Mountain Maid Training Center and in her later years till her death she served at the MMTC Alumni Affairs office where she would write and communicate with alumnae and alumni and welcome them when they would come for visits.

In 1989, she had her sabbatical at the Motherhouse of the Good Shepherd Sisters in Angers, France where she felt deeply the missionary zeal  and the great love of St. Mary Euphrasia for the girls and women we serve. The following year, in 1990, she visited MMTC alumnae in Australia and in 1996 she accompanied Marciana Concepcion and Annette Perez MMTC staff to Hongkong.

She wrote of her visit to Australia, "Through this visit, I felt the dedication of Sr. Mary Divine Child and the other Sisters who helped to prepare the girls for their respective jobs in a foreign country I felt the same spirit in them as they continue to spread the spirit of our dear Mother Foundress, "Gratitude is the memory of the heart." "A soul is of more value than the whole world."

"I might consider myself a retiree now, (1988) because of age, but I feel that when one is filled with the sprit of our dear Mother Foundress, one is never too old to help others. I felt so strong inspite of a heavy schedule seeing the girls even after their night duties at 11:30 p.m. They shared with me all their joys, some pains, but all these they are grateful to the Good Shepherd Sisters, May the Spirit of the Good Shepherd continue to live in us through the years to come."

In Baguio, Sr. Carmel had a prayer corner in the MMTC office where she also spent quiet moments praying for the boys and girls of MMTC, alumni and alumnae, our country and the world. Most of all she prayed before the image of the Good Shepherd who called her to follow Him pasture His sheep and whose promise to her is now fulfilled.  

"I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." 

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