SISTER M. CELINE SAPLALA, OSB
My exposure to the religious sisters and their life began early. Our town in Sta. Rita, Pampanga had a Dominican convent where a part of their building was converted and was used as a small hospital. There, my elder sister Dinah had her appendectomy. In one of my family’s visits to her, the sisters sewed a small Dominican habit which they excitedly made me wear.
To a preschooler like me, there was no significance to that.
As a grader in the public school, my teachers often remarked in my hearing that one day I would follow the footsteps of my older siblings — Elisea who joined the Pink Sisters in Baguio and Jose, who was already in the seminary. Too young and engrossed with school, as well as after-school playing with my classmates, I never really entertained such thoughts.
My sister Dinah was accepted to teach in high school at Assumption Academy of Pampanga (now St. Scholastica’s Academy) in my teens. This enabled me to transfer and enroll there in my sophomore year. Some of the sisters, particularly Sr. Renata Regner, OSB and Sr. Fides Rotter, OSB who knew my seminarian brothers (by then there were already two who entered) would remark that I must also have a vocation since my family already had three vocations to the religious life. The Sisters made sure that when Mother Prioress or a Sister from Manila visited San Fernando, I would be introduced to them. In my mind, I thought three vocations in a family of six boys and six girls were more than enough. And so, I did not think much about a future along that line. But God had other plans.
Choosing a college after high school graduation was a bit of a problem because of our financial situation. In one of his visits, the late Fr. Robert van Esbroeck, CICM inquired about my plans. Having been explained our family finances, he assured my mother that he would ask the help of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s College, Manila, who were his friends. So I took the entrance examinations and passed. I went back to Assumption Academy to get my report card. Sr. Renata, OSB saw me and asked where I was going to present my card. I told her I passed the examination at St. Joseph’s. But Sr. Renata was insistent, even adamant, that I should go to St. Scholastica’s. I informed her that my family could not afford the expenses there. She told me to just go to St. Scholastica’s College and take the entrance exams. The other arrangements, she assured me, would be taken care of. And so, one day, I found myself taking the entrance exams being administered by a newly professed Sr. Angelica Leviste, OSB.
That was how I got to know more about the Benedictines. Our Dean, Sr. Caridad Barrion, OSB, kept an eagle eye on some students who must have been in the Sister’s list of prospective candidates. She initiated appointments with the Novice Mistress for each of the ladies during free periods. (My, she knew all our free time!) Every time Sr. Caridad would inform me of my appointment, I always had an excuse or made up all kinds of reasons not to go — research work, club or group meetings, I was needed at the house, etc. Unfortunately, all these fell on deaf ears. Soon, I found myself seated in front of the Novice Directress, Sr. Assumpta Filser, OSB with hardly anything to say. These meetings became more urgent for Sr. Caridad, especially in our senior year. She kept reminding me about entering and joining the Benedictines.
But I too had plans. And entering with the Benedictines was not among them. I told her that I was considering religious life, but not the Benedictines. She was extremely disappointed. Meanwhile, I was also regularly going to our Guidance counselor, Sr. Liguori del Rosario, OSB to whom I confided my thoughts of entering a Mexican congregation that my sister Dinah joined. Her understanding and encouragement inspired me to reflect and weigh things over. In the end, without Sr. Liguori telling me to enter, I came to a decision that this Benedictine congregation is where I would be for the rest of my life.
In hindsight, perhaps, I would not even be here were it not for God’s own plans which had been set out long before I was astute enough to recognize them.
