HONG KONG (SE): Sister Emilia Marcelo of Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception [MIC] celebrates the golden jubilee of her religious profession this year. A thanksgiving celebration is scheduled at Good Hope Convent on July 2 with the MIC Sisters, her friends and family members.
Recalling her vocation story, Sister Marcelo remembered that she had just graduated from university in the Philippines when she began to accompany her younger sisters to visit their friends at the MIC Convent. One of them, who was studying in a school run by the MIC Sisters, wanted to become a religious. At that time, she only went to support her sister. However, God had another plan for her. “I got hooked by God, although I resisted for a while,” she said.
“I used to go to Mass every morning, and lo and behold, a priest to whom I regularly went for the confession whispered to me one day, ‘do you know you have a vocation to religious life?’” she recounted. “I refused to listen to him because I wanted to pursue my studies and have my own family.”
She finally decided to respond to God’s calling. “The MIC Sisters were very friendly with me. My parents hesitated to let me go because I was the eldest in the family,” she continued. She promised her family that she would come back to them if she was not happy after giving it a try. They allowed her to go as an aspirant in the southern part of the Philippines, where the MIC Sisters run schools. She taught in the college for two years and, when it was time to formally join the convent, she returned to Manila. She was accompanied by her family and the then provincial superior of the Society of the Divine Word as she entered the convent.
“It was difficult initially, but slowly, God lured me completely. I was very happy during my formation years in Baguio and right after my first profession, I was assigned to work with the provincial superior, which lasted for many years. I was assigned many responsibilities and I realised the importance of prudence, discretion, respect and the trust that confidentiality demanded. Now I understand that God was preparing me for my future ministries through those years of excellent training,” she recounted.
I was assigned many responsibilities and I realised the importance of prudence, discretion, respect and the trust that confidentiality demanded. Now I understand that God was preparing me for my future ministries through those years of excellent training
Sister Marcelo said she is so happy to celebrate 50 years of God’s faithfulness and she is very grateful to God for allowing her to experience this day, given that her health has not been good. She believes the Chapel of Our Lady of Magnificat will resound with thanksgiving songs.
John Cardinal Tong Hon will preside at the concelebrated Mass which will be followed by a reception.
Over the past 50 golden years, Sister Marcelo believes she has received many blessings from God. Having been in Hong Kong for 41 years, she participated in different ministries simultaneously. She worked for the International Young Christian Workers for a couple of years. Then she served on the executive board of the Major Superiors of Religious Women in Hong Kong for several years. She spent 10 beautiful years with the Walk to Emmaus, an ecumenical group of dedicated, God-loving men and women.
Over the past 28 years, she has been the pastoral adviser for the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community. She also finds it a privilege to serve as a spiritual adviser for some Filipino groups at the Catholic Centre. She has also been serving the MIC Schools in Hong Kong as their manager.
She feels that her most rewarding 34 years were spent in the Bishop’s Office of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong. She worked closely with Father John Baptist Tsang Hing-mun while he was a vicar-general. She has also worked for different bishops, including a 29-year stint with Cardinal Tong.
“I have had many years of meaningful work with both Father Tsang and Cardinal Tong, two kind, firm, and highly decent consecrated men,” she said.
Sister Marcelo jubilantly declares that 50 years is a long journey, but God has always sustained her and blessed her “in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over” [Luke 6:38].
