My religious name is Sr. Mary Catherine of the Divine Mercy. I was born in Tagudin, Ilocos Sur, Philippines and came to the U.S.A. in March 1990. As I remember, the story of my vocation begins when, after the death of my mother, I first felt a tiny spark in my small heart. I was nine years old. My father, wishing to give my two siblings and me a better future and upbringing, brought us to live with his brother. My uncle's house was just across the street from the convent and High School of the Religious Missionaries of St. Dominic. That was the first time I saw Sisters in their full habit, and that first encounter left such a deep impression in my little heart, that from that day forward, I resolved to be a nun someday.
Getting to know the Sisters at this time helped me to forget the pain and sorrow of losing my mother at such a tender age. It also gave me the strength and courage to bear all the physical and verbal abuses that were my daily bread in my uncle's house. Just watching the Sisters gave me the motivation to carry on with life. I used to watch if the gate of the school was open and if the Sisters were out for their recreation in the evening. As soon as I saw them gather, I would run carrying my little niece and slowly enter the open gate. Seeing my cute little angel, the Sisters couldn't resist my bait and would call us to join them. Joining the Sisters at recreation gave me an opportunity to observe them closely. Their joy and their laughter were contagious. I loved being in their company and was always looking forward to joining their next recreation. Those close encounters with the Sisters stirred something within me. I remember asking these questions: Why are they happy? What in their kind of life gives them so much peace and joy? These questions stayed with me as I continued to live my life with its daily hardships.
After I finished my elementary education, I enrolled at the High School run by the Dominican Sisters. This was like a homecoming for me since I already knew most of the Sisters. During this time, my desire to become a religious grew more intense. I became very close to one of the Sisters and it was to her that I first confided my desire to become a Dominican Sister. She encouraged me and told me to pray about it and ask the Lord to guide me. After High School, I knew with certainty that the Lord was really calling me to become a religious. I then asked to talk to the Superior and the Directress of our school, but, to my great disappointment, I was told that I was too young. I was advised to continue my studies, have a boyfriend, and wait until I turned 18 years of age. I was heartbroken! I remember crying for several days. However, I followed their advice except that of having a boyfriend. I had several suitors but I wasn't interested in any of them. There was just one thing in my mind: I want to be the bride of Jesus.
I went to College for a year and the following year sent my application to join the Religious Missionaries of St. Dominic. I went for an interview and was accepted. I entered the convent two days after my 18th birthday. That was the happiest moment of my life, to see my dream finally realized. My novitiate years went very smoothly. I didn't have a hard time adjusting to the life. I knew I was in the right place. It was after I left the novitiate and became very active in the apostolate that I felt a deep longing for a life of silence, solitude, and prayer, as in our novitiate days. This yearning went on for fourteen years until I finally got the courage to ask permission to transfer to a cloistered contemplative order. My request was granted and I joined the Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration, popularly known as Pink Sisters. I stayed with them for a while until the Lord called me to return to my Dominican family, this time the cloistered branch of the Order. I first joined St. Dominic's Monastery in Washington, DC and recently asked to transfiliate to Corpus Christi Monastery, Menlo Park, California.