When the Second Missionary Expedition left the Motherhouse of Berriz on October 30, 1927 they were destined for Ponape in the Caroline Islands. Along the way, however, Bishop Rego, S.J. decided that they should instead go to Saipan, which they did, arriving on March 4, 1928. The people in Ponape were understandably disappointed. They still
When in 1923 Mother Superior Maria Nieves Urizar proposed a plan to go to China to begin their missionary apostolate, it was accepted with great enthusiasm. Of the 53 nuns in Berriz, 26 offered to go to the missions. Wuhu is a city in China in the province of Anhuei. It is a commercial center
God’s rays of mercy fall upon us in the most unexpected places and often during the most trying of times During World War II, an unusual but beautiful conversion story would involve God’s rays of mercy in the person of Ida Mancini. Born in Italy, her family had immigrated to the United States
The Aftermath of World War II Once it was over the sisters had to think of survival. Money was scarce and they didn’t know how long the situation would last. They sewed and worked in the fields. The villagers were very kind and helped them organize their material life. The sisters helped the villagers organize
The Beginnings of Koen; War Looms A few days after the school opened, a small group of girls asked to come to school on Sunday so the nuns could talk to them about God. The school tried to incorporate catechesis in other ways, such as talks on religious themes, conferences with slides, and the creation
MMB Beginnings in Japan The beginnings of a house in Tokyo appear initially in the writings of Mother Margarita in 1928, while she was preparing for her First Missionary Trip accompanying the Third Missionary Expedition to Ponape (now Pohnpei). As Mother Margarita set out on this Third Expedition, Spanish Jesuit Father Jose Zameza who
The Association of the Mercedarian Missionary Youth of Berriz was founded in 1920, by Mother Margarita at the Vera Cruz School in Berriz. This year marks 100 years since its founding. This is significant because in actuality this was the beginning of the great transformation that would take place some 10 years later when the
Mother Margarita loved her missionary life because she was truly in love with Jesus Christ. In 1934, she wrote, “when a missionary loves her mission very much, when she is totally centered in it, she sees everything pleasant and easy.” She knew that when we love much, we can attain much. She also knew
Catholic Schools’ Week (January 26-February 1 in 2020) as a designated celebration did not exist in Mother Margarita’s tenure as an educator. Had it been, however, she would have been at the forefront in celebrating. . . Mother Margarita gave over twenty years of her life to education. She began teaching in 1906 at the
On Thursday, December 20, 1928 Mother Margarita departed from Saipan with the other sisters for a six-day voyage to Japan. She described her sentiments as “sadness mixed with happiness and joy, because with Christ and through Christ every sacrifice is small.” This was a time of great uncertainty for the missions. Mother Margarita had many
