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 wanted sisters to come to their island.
Only a month later, from the letters of Mother Margarita, dated April 3, 1928 and April 10, we see that there were already new plans to establish that promised mission in Ponape.
On August 5th of that same year, this dream began, as the Third Missionary Expedition set out from Berriz. The group that set out on this expedition was made up of nine religious: two to reinforce the Wuhu, China mission,four for the new foundation in Ponape,two others destined for whatever the Lord was asking concerning Japan and Mother Margarita, herself, on her First Missionary Trip.
The first stage of the trip was to Loyola, Spain the home of St. Ignatius, Founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and then to Lourdes, France the site where the Blessed Mother appeared to a 14 yearold girl by the name of Bernadette Soubirous in 1858.
On August 10, they then left the port city of Marseilles in Franceon the
D’Artagnan” en route to Shanghai, China where they stayed for three days, September 15 to 18.
Sisters BegonaDochao and AuxilioUrizarfrom Wuhu were waiting for them in Shanghai, along with Sister Loreto Zubia, Superior of the mission in Saipan.
Two of the sisters, Teresita and Itizar left with Sister Auxilio for Wuhu, and the rest of the sisters followed in the same ship destined for Japan along with Sister BegonaDochao. They arrived in Tokyo on September 23, rested and on October 24, they made the trip to Ponape.
During this portion of their Pacific transiting, they passed through a terrible typhoon. It was feared they would not be able to land on Saipan, however they were able to make port and stayed three days, November 2 to 5.
Then, after a brief stay in Toloas, in Truk, on November 11that 8 a.m.they finally made port on the island of Ponape, the destination they had dreamed about. Mother Margarita beautifully describes the reception in one of her letters.
“Ponape. As we approached, the port was like an anthill swarming with people who sang as they waited on dock for us…As I watched and heard them, a knot formed in my throat and the emotion I felt grew as we came closer to them. I would have liked to embrace each one, one by one…Just imagine that for this reception many had come from the most distant islands and as our arrival had been delayed because of a storm, they had to sleep several nights under a miserable roof. We had scarcely stepped ashore when people lined up on either side of us. They continued singing. Many of them with tear filled eyes knelt as we passed. I wanted to say something to them, and as I knew nothing more, I greeted them with ‘Kasilelia’ which they joyfully repeated.”
By the time the four founding sisters, Concepcion Bernaola, Belen Vitores, Dolores Requejo, and Serapia Martinez, got off the boat it was 9:30. Mother Margarita recounts her first impressions of the landscape. “With what joy did we greet the black rock that advances in the sea at the entrance to the island! From the boat the island is fantastic and incredible wherever you look. Everything from coral reefs to diminutive islands strewn out over the sea like fluffed up carpets. It’s impossible to imagine anything like this.”
The greeting by the Ponapean people was perhaps most endearing. As they walked up the street to the church, Mother Margarita said the church was overflowing with people. Even the Protestants joined them at Mass, drawn by curiosity.
Later they went to see the house the sisters would be occupying and all through the afternoon people did not stop coming to greet them. Donato, who was the spokesperson for the islanders told the sisters, ‘that they could never express their gratitude enough for the sacrifice that we had made in our lives, coming from so far away to help them.’ When he spoke about us making a sacrifice he bowed his head down low and two large teardrops fell, thereby revealing his magnanimity.”
The apostolate in Ponape, centered around the boarding school, the apostolate they considered the most suitable for the formation of the girls. Because of the way the population of Ponape was spread out, it was not feasible that students could travel such a long distance to school every day. They had to wait until the house the German nuns had occupied was renovated as a boarding school. Meanwhile, the sisters began learning the language. By April 1929, the boarding school was prepared and the inauguration took place on the Feast of the Holy Trinity. The following day classes began. There were 10 boarders and 30 day students.
In the 1930’s Japanese colonists streamed into Ponape in order to boost commercial efforts. The missionaries felt that the main concern was becoming less the welfare of the islanders and more the progression of Japanese economics. However, the missionaries remained on friendly terms with the Japanese and conversions continued through the early 1930’s. The Mercedarians were able to make improvements in the girl’s boarding school and Sister Ines Goitisolo and Sister Francisca Mendizabal initiated the” Pwihnen Mercedes” one of the most active women’s groups in Ponape. The boarding school continued to grow and with a growing demand for entrance, the need for a larger residence arose. When Mother Margarita returned in 1931, they still had not found a solution, so she asked the Bishop for the stone house the sisters had first lived in. The Bishop gave them the house, and though it meant the school and the convent were in separate locations, and meant they would have to go back and forth to classes and to the residence, they accepted this joyfully, since they could take in up to fifty girls.
Besides the spiritual formation of the boarders, they also emphasized social and cultural aspects as well as other interesting areas as circumstances would allow. There were exhibitions of handiwork and sewing, various contests with prizes, such as singing, drawing, etc. In 1933, they began having social evenings which were open to the public. To some of these, the Japanese governor attended with his wife and daughter. In 1939, they held a large exhibit of handicrafts and other works. These were held every three months, with the intention of providing some form of formation for the parents of the boarders.
The missionaries were delighted with the progress of the students and Sr. Ines Goitisolo wrote: “One can see the girls coming along, and that the spiritual talks have made an impression on them, that they have a hidden treasure and the desire to have it uncovered. They have taken the classes with much seriousness, the idea of exams they have taken with ease. They are neither dumb nor fools and if they continue to apply themselves, they will go far.’’
Good results were also seen with the girls who went back to the villages, organized catechesis, and small schools where they taught children to read, write, do needlework and study catechism.
Besides the boarding school, a dispensary was established, religious instruction and pastoral ministry were carried out.
But, in 1941, the first of the 10,000 Japanese troops arrived. They took over the Kolonia church and Mass was then said in the school. Then the Japanese authorities told them they could have Mass only twice a month. Though fearful of the Japanese, people still came to Mass and taught catechism.
In 1942, the Mercedarian community welcomed three sisters from Truk and a young Trukese girl Perpetua Hallers who hoped to enter religious life. They came to Ponape because they felt that Ponape would be safer for the duration of the war.
By 1943, the Missionaries had relocated to various parts of the island and continued their work. Then the Missionaries were forbidden to do anything but visit the sick. Still, they continued to have Mass in clandestine ways though obtaining flour to make hosts was difficult. The Japanese kept moving the priests and Mercedarian Sisters to various parts of the island and finally to Mt. Sankaku where the Japanese government could keep a watchful eye on them.
On Christmas Eve in 1944, they offered Mass in the presence of a Japanese bonze, and 400 Ponapeans sang “Silent Night “their native tongue. Over 40 children made their first Communion that night. Father Quirino, could hardly deliver his homily he was so moved by the spectacle of the coming of the Prince of Peace in a world at war. It was a beautiful foretaste of what was coming.
When the war finally ended in 1945, they had a solemn Mass in honor of the Sacred Heart in thanksgiving for their lives. After this, plans for reconstruction began. The Kolonia Church, the rectory, and all areas used by the church were rubble. Within two months the day school was restored by the American Military, and 250 students attended. At this time, the mission came under the direction of the American Jesuits.
With the arrival of Hugh Costigan S.J., in 1947 as local Superior, he set out to restore the ruined mission of Kolonia. The first job was a vast improvement in the school of what had previously existed. Then they reconstructed the Church, the convent and the dormitory for the girls. The parish school now had 300 students, and the Mercedarian sisters were the teachers. The school, now called Our Lady of Mercy, went as far as 6th grade, and had mechanics and a carpentry shop. Father Costigan also built schools in other districts of Ponape.
By 1953, there were four mission schools on the island and nearly 500 students. The commitment of the Mercedarian Sisters after twenty years bore much fruit. The dream of Mother Margarita Maturana to spread God’s love to the ends of the earth became a reality.
Several girls from Micronesia expressed a desire to enter the religious life. In 1947, the Mercedarians began a formal program for aspirants, postulants and novices on Ponape. In 1949, the first group of five girls professed their vows. Among them was Sister Rita Amor (right), the first Ponapean sister. Formation continued in Ponape until the early 1960’s when it was transferred to Saipan.
The religious fervor that swept the island after the war had not died down and parish life was at a peak during these years. Mass attendance was impressive and devotions such as the daily rosary were well attended.
The MMB sisters who taught in Our Lady of Mercy Elementary School in Kolonia from its beginnings, realized that needs were changing. Elementary education was being taken care of by the Public School System which established schools around the island. Students no longer had to come to Kolonia and live in the dormitories at the Mission to further their education. Also, the young women who had entered the MMB congregation had to be trained and educated for their ministries in the future. The result was a personnel shortage of sisters for the schools, since many sisters were sent to Saipan for education.
The elementary school began to be phased out and in its place a new kind of school was created, Our Lady of Mercy Vocational Training School (OLMVTS). This new venture was begun by Sr. Maria Perez-Caballero (below-front, second left) in 1976 and continued later by Sr. Concepcion Kinosta (not pictured). The school continued educating young women for 33 years.
The aim of OLMVTS was a certain fidelity to Blessed Margarita’s desire to educate women since she believed they were the “heart” of the family. The sisters also realized that there were large numbers of girls in Pohnpei who had limited education or who were unable to go to the local high school for a variety of reasons. They were being left to one side and the sisters decided to begin a vocational school to provide skills for these young women, as well as academic preparation. OLMVTS provided a basic academic education needed for life, such as reading, writing, math and religion. Also, there were classes in home arts which included: sewing, dress-making, embroidery, cooking, gardening, as well as child development/parenting, and physical education.
As the program developed, classes in computer, human development and home budgeting were added. Those who completed the three-year program were prepared to begin a small cottage industry by sewing clothing from their homes in order that they could help their families economically. Several graduates of the school later became teachers after finishing a more advanced program in home arts in Fiji.
Later on, change once again came to the educational ministry in Pohnpei since needs continued to develop and high school education was then being highly valued by the population as a key to the future. More and more young people were able to go to high school and the cry was for a Catholic High School. Slowly, OLMVTS was transitioned into an academic high school for both young women and men. Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School was born in 2009 and continues to provide quality education up to the present day.
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School in Pohnpei, FSM.
Main classroom building and the gymnasium.
Sources: History of the Institute First Foundations: China, Japan, Saipan, Ponape and Truk
by: Maria Isabel Artadi, MMB
The Catholic Church in Micronesia
by: Francis X. Hezel, S.J.
