Sister Aurea
Brania: Silver Jubilee Part 1
‘…I shall live my vows to You;
Before
Your people, I am Your servant
I will
offer You my sacrifice
Of praise
and of pray’r. I love the Lord ….’
… from the Song
of the Jubilarian
What makes a
young girl with the whole wide world before her, turn her back and enter a
world based on faith alone?
And what makes a
family who nurtured this very girl into adulthood giving all the love and care
only a family can offer wholeheartedly relinquish her based on faith as well?
Some people
think it’s foolhardy; others may think the girl is inconsiderate for thinking
only of herself; and yet others only have admiration for the family.
Why the convent?
‘Many are called but few are chosen.’
Some may call it
destiny – still a much disputed concept.
For the true pillars of faith, joining
the Institute is an ultimate sacrifice for the love of Christ. For somebody to
deny oneself of all the pleasures life can offer, takes a lot more than gut and
courage.
It is Love greater than the individual that proffers oneself in the
service of God which leads to the service to humanity – temporal and spiritual.
As Sister Aurea
Brania celebrated her Silver Jubilee in the service of God with the Missionary
Catechist of Saint Therese last Sunday November 11, 2012, she is another proof of
the resilience of the religious. Once more a manifestation of that greater Love
that grows into the deepest core of those ‘who
were chosen…’
Gone are the
days when movies especially the Filipino films depicting the nuns and the
sisters in a very preposterous light.
‘…let
her enter the convent; she’s homely…’
‘…she’ll enter the convent; she’s in despair…’
‘…she’s very quiet; let her enter the convent…’
‘…she’s dull, she won't finish even high school;
let her enter the convent…’
And in Europe
especially during King Henry the 8th reign:
For the out-of-grace wife:
‘…enter
the nunnery or be beheaded…’
For the disgraced nobility:
‘…retire
in the nunnery…’
Overseas
Filipino Workers (OFW)
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| Jubilarian Sr. Marilou Paulo, Sr. Estelita de Leon, Celebrant Sr. Aurea Brania, MCST Superior General Mother Teodora Juan, MCST Secretary General Melitona Salvaleon and Sr. Agnes Corales, (Sr. Josephine Lontoc not in picture). Mother Superior and the Secretary General came all the way from the Philippines to attend this occasion. |
Filipinos are
everywhere working for a living for their loved ones.
On the other
hand, the Filipinos in religious orders like the Missionary Catechist of St. Therese
can be considered the real OFWS. Where the contract workers worked only for
their employers receiving their monthly dues and remitting their pays to their
families, the Reverend Sisters render
services cheerfully to mankind anywhere they are called. They are all career - oriented professionals of service to humanity.
MCST (which is
also true among other congregations) defies the trite and hackneyed portrayal
of the women in the habit. They are secluded and yet they are very much in the
midst of the people.
The MCST had always been the Filipinos’ spiritual
guardians and special friends especially here in Abuja.
The renewal of Consecration of Sister Aurea Brania was held on Sunday November 11, 2012 at 9:00 am at The Apostolic Nunciature, Abuja, Nigeria celebrated by the Apostolic Nuncio H.E. Archbishop Dr. Augustine Kasujja with Fr. Ralph Madu the Secretary of Catholic Bishops Conference in Nigeria and Rev. Msgr. Patrick Usenbor and Rev. Fr. Raymund.
Jubilation after the service as the pictures show:
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| Sister Aurea Brania |
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| The Altar |
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| ...the parishioners waiting for the Mass to begin... |
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| First Reading - Sr. Marilou; Psalm as sang by Massimo and the Second Reading by Dr. Edujie Abebe with the congregation closely following the readings... |
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| Renewal of Consecration: Sr. Aurea is called...as she was called 25 years ago...'Behold the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word...' |
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| Sr. Aurea renews her vows before His Excellency, the Papal Nuncio Dr. Augustine Kasujja representing the Church and before the Superior General representing the Institute (the Missionary Catechist of St. Therese) |
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| '...receive this crown as a symbol of that celestial crown which by your fidelity, constancy in faith hope and love in God's service ...' ...the blessed and sanctified crown is pinned by the Mother Superior on Sr. Aurea's veil. |
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'...may she bring true joy to the world ruined by sadness and true hope in a world on the verge of despair...'
SONG OF THE
JUBILARIAN
As sang by: Sr.
Aurea, the celebrant, Mother Superior Teodora, Sr. Melitona, Jubilarian Sr.
Marilou, Sr. Estelita, Sr. Agnes and Sr. Josephine
I LOVE THE LORD
Refrain: ‘…I Love the Lord, He is filled with
compassion
He turned
to me on the day that I called
From the
snares of the dark,
O Lord,
save my life be my strength….’
1.
Gracious is the Lord and just;
Our God is mercy, rest to the weary.
Return my soul, to the Lord our God
Who bid tears away. I Love the Lord (ref)
2.
How I can I repay the Lord;
For all the goodness He has shown me?
I will raise the cup of salvation
And call on His name. I Love the Lord (ref)
3.
I shall live my vows to You;
Before Your people, I am Your servant
I will offer You my sacrifice
Of praise and of pray’r. I Love the Lord (ref)
How can a very simple song reach
out and touch most of the individuals present during the mass? The song
rendered was so joyous and yet so solemn. This particular hymn still
reverberated in our minds even when we were already out of the chapel.
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| ...touched by the hymn... |
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| '...may she proclaim not only the goodness and beauty of Your creation, but also the promise of good things to come...' |
PRAYERS OF THE
FAITHFUL
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Sr. Estelita: 'For the Church, its leaders and people; that we may have the courage to speak and struggle against all that would destroy human dignity...'; John Hernandez:'For world leaders, that they renounce hostility borne of the drive for power and self-interest...lead their nations in promoting peace, unity, justice and love...'; Sr. Josephine: For all married couples, parents and children, friends far and near ....continuously renew their sharing and concern for each other...'
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| Hon. Kare Yekwe: '...for Sr. Aurea who is celebrating her 25th anniversary ...may bring her much closer to God ...and her family who willingly offered her to respond to her vocation may be blessed in special way...'; Sr. Agnes: '...for all those gathered here .... may be inspired in opening our hearts to one another and become witnesses of the Gospel...' |
|
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| Offerings from the congregation |
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| Peace be with you.... |
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| Jubilarian Sister Aurea Brania as she receives the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ... |
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| Holy Communion as received by the faithfuls... |
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| '...the crowned...' Sr. Aurea |
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| Ampy Ronquillo and Mme Nora with Felicia Edet, school nurse of International Community School; the happy faces of Sr. Estelita, Sr. Aurea and Sr. Agnes |
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| Sr. Aurea warmly greeted and congratulated by well-wishers; here shown with Mrs. Juliet Bala |
|
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| Dame Pauline Tallen, Ambassador Lamadrid, H.E. Archbishop Dr. Augustine Kasujja, High Commissioner of
Uganda, H.E. Christopher Onyanga Aparr, at the back Sir David, Mr. Anthony, Mrs. Rosemarie Edet, Lady Chikwe and Christine Enekebe; Dame Pauline's grandchildren - Henry at first smiling happily and then suddenly changed face as his sister little Pauline came late...now his mood turned sour... |
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| Philippine Ambassador Alex V. Lamadrid |
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| Sr. Estelita, Sr. Aurea and Sr. Agnes |
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| OFWS jubilating with the MCST in general and Sr. Aurea for this blessed event: Sr. Estelita, Sr. Aurea, Sr. Agnes, Mother Teodora, Sr. Josephine, Sr. Melitona with the Philippine Ambassador Alex V. Lamadrid and the Papal Nuncio H.E. Dr. Augustine Kasujja |
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| Sr. Aurea with Prof. Dora Akunyele; and with Grace Blair |
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| H.E. the Papal Nuncio with the amazing nonagenarian Rev. Msgr. Patrick Usenbor; Pinoys James, Grace, Norma, John, Lito, (at the back) Angie, Sherwin, Tickboy |
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| Sr. Aurea with well-wishers Dr. Edujie Abibe, Dame Pauline Tallen, Christine Enekebe, Pauline Sister - Sr. Gladys and with their aspirants; with a sweet young girl and Mrs. Grace Blair |
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| Secretary of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria Fr. Ralph Madu with the Sisters and the Papal Nuncio |
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| OFWS after the mass Tess, Efren, Tickboy, Angie; Otie, Sr. Estelita, Sr. Aurea, Nonits, Sherwin, Sr. Agnes, Sr. Melitona, Tickboy, Rex, Lito, Norma, John, James, Grace, Ampy, Vangie, Mother Teodora and the Papal Nuncio |
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| Lady in red Dame Pauline Tallen, Reverend Sisters, Hon. Kare Yekwe, Sir David and Lady Joan Osunde with H.E. Archbishop Dr. Augustine Kasujja; and the family of Engr. Emmanuel Efodi with Sr. Aurea |
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| H.E. Dr. Augustine Kasujja, Philippine Ambassador Lamadrid with the OFWS and the MCST Sisters |
