God’s Gift of Remedios Palacios Castro
In World War I Saipan was seized by Japan from Germany by October 1914. Following that war, Saipan was placed under the Japanese by the League of Nations as part of the South Pacific Mandate. From that time onward the Japanese developed the island and had thriving fishing and sugarcane industries. The local population numbered about 3,000, while the Japanese were about 35,000 strong.
By 1941, having established their stronghold in Saipan, the Japanese were preparing for war with the United States. The Catholic Mission priest at the time was Father Tardio, S.J. That same year he was forbidden to say Mass, and was isolated from the local community. Mount Carmel Church, then located in Garapan (at the site of the present day Kristo Rai Church) was being used to store weapons for the Japanese regime.
The Mercedarian sisters, faithful to their Fourth Vow remained on Saipan, even at the expense of their lives. They were also isolated from the local community, but God in His great mercy allowed the Japanese to place the sisters under the care of Remedios P. Castro, a young woman of twenty-six at the time, who spoke Japanese. She was allowed to help the sisters to obtain food and other necessities they might need. Remedios was truly a ray of mercy that God sent into the lives of the sisters, because the events that followed show us clearly His Divine Providence.
The local people were slowly being moved from the town of Garapan out to their ranches, while the sisters remained in town surrounded by the strict watch of the military. Finally, in March 1944, the sisters were moved from Garapan to an unoccupied site, only to be moved a month later to another house in Chalan Galaide (present day Upper Navy Hill.) They were instructed to move to an underground shelter about 1×5 meters, if an alarm sounded. This last shelter in Chalan Galaide was so low and sunken into the ground that they could scarcely see the light of day.
During this time, Remedios went everywhere searching for food for the sisters. She did this untiringly and they never lacked food. However, on May 22, 1944, a huge truck ploughed its way up to the ravine where the sisters were staying, and began to unload and pile up ammunition around the site. They said they would haul it to a cave the next day, but it looked as if they were going to kill the missionaries. The word among the local people had been circulating that the Japanese did intend to kill them.
Life went on as usual, with isolation and no news of impending events, until June 11, 1944. At around two in the afternoon, a huge explosion of bombs, bullets and shrapnel pelted the roof of the house. Too late to run to the shelter the sisters covered themselves with mattresses. This deluge ended at dusk and when the sisters finally looked outside, the sight was gruesome. The hillside was aflame and the fire set off ammunition that had been set around in various locations. The miracle that none of the ammunition surrounding their house exploded was yet another merciful event.
The sisters then proceeded to the shelter and were joined by a young couple who had just been evacuated. There were seven sisters and this couple in the small shelter and it was suffocating. Moreover, they were squeezed in so tightly they could hardly change position. The only sounds were the air battle which pulsated in their ears incessantly. But in their hearts prayers and calm filled them, knowing God was in charge. He was doing the fighting for them.
By the end of the week, they decided to venture out of the shelter. Sister Genoveva went first, but when she did not return, the sisters decided to go up to the house. At the house they were met with Japanese military, in full regalia with rifles. They pointed the gun at Sisters Mercedes and Angelica, but a third soldier entered and said to stop; “Don’t do that you fool.’’ The Japanese were furious. They thought that the fire the nuns lighted for cooking was a signal to the Americans. Remedios was terrified, but she spoke up and told them not to think ill of the nuns, because they were here to help both the local people and the Japanese. The Japanese said okay, but told them that if they lit another fire they would be killed. The mercy of God again prevailed through Remedios.
Not long afterwards, on Sunday June 18, 1944, the sisters were told they were being moved closer to the Japanese and that they would leave at eight in the evening to begin the trek to Mount Tapochau. Escorted by two policemen they began to walk, and the walk seemed endless. They arrived at Tapochau at midnight. The policemen left the sisters in a clearing and told them to rest. In the pitch darkness of night it was frightening, being unprotected and clueless as to what the next move would be. Exhaustion overcame the sisters and they slept for a short period until a barrage of parachutists landed in the same area they were resting.
At dawn the soldiers removed them, and it was a merciful move, because as soon as they left a bomb exploded in the same place. The spot they were moved to had no protection either and they lay face down all day as the Americans and Japanese continued to shoot at each other. That they survived the crossfire was amazing, and even the Japanese were in wonderment that they were still alive.
At this point, Remedios was inspired to do something to curtail the stressful suffering of the sisters. She went to the Chief of Police and asked if they could be taken to the northern end of the island where her father had a ranch. There she said were many caves and it would be much safer. The Chief of Police agreed, but it wasn’t until another day of lying under the crossfire that they were allowed to leave. Since the sisters were unsure they would make this trip safely, they located Father Tardio to hear their confessions before they set off on this trip.
The police escorted the sisters, Father Tardio and Brother Oroquieta down Mount Tapochau, and it was a challenging descent. At some points they had to descend sitting down clutching the bushes. While they made this perilous trip downward, they saw bodies being carried upward on stretchers and soldiers ascending for battle, fires burning dead bodies, and shrapnel flying everywhere, as bombs burst and body parts flew around. They were led to a rocky area and they lay face down all day as another air battle ensued.
At five in the afternoon, it seemed that the battle abated, so they began to walk again. But another plane sped by spewing bullets everywhere and Sr. Angelica was hit in the chest with the bullet exiting her back. She was bleeding heavily, but when they saw nearby tanks burning they kept on going. When Sister Genoveva did not follow them, they discovered she had died. They had to leave her body and go on. With God still walking with them, they met a soldier who led them to a cave with Japanese civilians. In the evening, Sister Angelica was treated in another cave manned by surgeons who were assisting the wounded. The policemen found Sister Genoveva’s body and said they would bury it. So, after a short respite, they kept on going finally reaching Kalabera Cave.
When they arrived at Kalabera Cave, Remedios again made a strong plea to take them to her father’s ranch in Marpi. After another doctor redressed Sister Angelica’s wound, they set out for Marpi. Sister Angelica was quite weak, but Remedios supported her all the way even though they had to walk six miles. Because of the crossfire, they had to continually drop to the ground which made it worse.
When they reached the intersection of the two roads leading to Marpi, the policemen said they were free to continue on their own. What joy filled everyone’s heart, even amidst all the suffering, that they were finally free from the police. At this point Remedios had to make a decision about which road to take to the ranch. She chose the long road, because she felt there might be military installations along the shorter path. God’s loving hand held them, because Remedios had made the right choice. Apparently, they found out later, that electrified wires had been set up by the Japanese along the shorter route by which the Japanese thought the American’s might enter.
When they finally arrived, they found a cave for the sisters and another for Father Tardio & Brother Oroquieta. Remedios never stopped. After settling everyone in, she went to look for medical help for Sr. Angelica. In one of the caves she found a nurse, one of the sister’s former students, who was able to get medical supplies to help Sister Angelica. With medicine to treat the infections, Sister Angelica was doing well within eight days. Remedios also went from cave to cave to get clothes to help Sister Angelica and wash her bloodstained ones in the creek. With the mercy of a mother’s heart Remedios touched the lives of the sisters providing them with food and supplies all through this ordeal.
When water became very scarce so that food couldn’t even be swallowed properly, Remedios cut pieces of sugarcane so the sisters could have the juice from them. All these trips to help the sisters get supplies were always made in the middle of the night and full of danger for her own life; Remedios was truly God’s instrument.
And as we all know, the ultimate gift was that Remedios later became Sister Remedios, giving her whole life to the service of others as a Mercedarian Missionary. Her work is legendary.
The Fourth Vow which Mother Margarita desired to be the hallmark of her order became a reality in the experiences of the war on Saipan, which left one dead and another wounded. Yet, God’s mercy always preceded them, even amidst one of the bloodiest battles of World War II.
Sister Angelica, who was wounded, yet survived the war, said it so well herself, “Can our intellects ever comprehend the magnitude of the gifts of protection, love, gentleness, and tenderness that God our Father showered on us during that time of war? Can we ever find words to adequately express our thanks? I cannot; I can only say: ‘I shall forever praise the loving kindness of the Lord.’”
[The original source of the contents of this account was written by Sr. Maria Angelica Salaberria, MMB after the War. Entitled “A Time of Agony-Saipan 1944” it was translated from the original Spanish and edited by Marjorie G. Driver and Omaira Brunal-Perry of the Micronesian Area Research Center of the University of Guam in 1994 with a grant from the CNMI Council for the Humanities on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Invasion of Saipan.]
