Sister Teresa Yuen Sau-mei FMM
In late December 2016, our Province (Hong Kong and Macao) organised a pilgrimage to the Holy Land which both Sister Teresa Yuen and I joined. She was very determined to walk in the footsteps of Jesus the Nazarene and walked and visited every holy place with so much devotion, forgetting her leg pain and was so enthusiastic to spend time in prayer at every holy church we visited.
She was very determined to walk the long roads where Jesus walked. Though the roads were rough with ups and downs and it was raining, she walked on the roads all the way, from beginning till the end.
When we went to Bethany to visit the tomb of Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, we had to negotiate a lot of narrow steps to go down to visit the tomb. No matter how difficult the walk, she was joyful and enthusiastic in making the sacrifice and visiting with so much faith.
Though we had to stand in long queues to visit some holy places like the Holy Sepulchre and Garden of Gethsemane, she stood patiently without giving up, to experience what it meant for Jesus to go through such painful agony. In her sharing on the pilgrimage, she said “this pilgrimage is strengthening my faith. God gave me this golden opportunity so I will not give up but will try my very best to walk together to experience the healing power of my Lord.”
During the pilgrimage on December 24, we attended the midnight Christmas Mass in Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. It was freezing and drizzling and the Mass was held in the open grounds. But we arrived at the spot two hours before the time. Though we tried different shelters to stay away from the cold and rain, our efforts were in vain.
At that moment, Sister Yuen came to me and said very gently, “Let us go and sit in our coach.” She held my hand and started walking. Though our coach was parked far away and it was not good for her legs to walk that far, she accompanied me. I experienced her genuine sisterly love and care.
In late August 2019, I was transferred to Hermine Convent and had an opportunity to live with her for seven months. In the beginning, I was cautious as I had heard that she could be very demanding. But within a few days I began to notice that she was different from what I had thought. She was straightforward but she wanted us, especially the younger generation, to uphold the spirit of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM).
Though she was a cancer patient and sometimes suffered much, she did not show her pain. She tried her very best to be there for all community activities including meetings, and morning and evening prayer, meals and so on. She also reminded us to discipline ourselves as members of the FMM and live the spirit of our charism faithfully.
She encouraged me a lot on many occasions and appreciated me for my language ability, and was very keen to listen to my sharing and corrected me if my intonation was wrong. After a short while, I was able to approach her any time and share some of my personal experiences.
She was determined to fulfill her responsibilities as the editor-in-chief of the Kung Kau Po. Though she had terminal lung cancer, she went to work at thrice a week unless she was too sick. She always said, “I have to go to work as there is a lot to do and support my team members as they have a lot to accomplish. My support is needed for them.” This showed her strong sense of responsibility and commitment towards her mission. I believe that she only wanted to bring the Good News to everyone.
Dear loving Sister Teresa Yuen, your sense of belonging is very strong no matter towards the community, province, institute or your work place. That is what every one of us should have towards our mission. Thank you very much for everything, especially your love and encouragement. I will try my very best to live my commitment to God faithfully disciplining myself.
Remember me and pray for me as you enjoy the eternal bliss of the Almighty Father. I miss you and feel your absence as well as presence in the community.
Sister Lilly Duggimpudi FMM
