Mother Margarita’s calling in life, her life’s work, was to be an instrument in bringing the faith to the islands. Mother Margarita felt a great love for the islands. Our Lord put this love in her heart and Our Lord brought her here to Saipan on her first trip outside the monastery.
Mother Margarita departed Spain in August 1928 and returned 8 months later to Berriz on March 19, 1929. The trip to visit the Sisters on Saipan, who had arrived March 4, 1928, was important to Mother Margarita as she was concerned for their health and also wanted to see firsthand how their missionary work was doing. Mother Margarita’s love for Our Lord, the Blessed Mother and the Church knew no bounds and her only desire was to fulfill the will of God to the smallest detail. Mother Margarita would go anywhere and would do anything as long as it was what God asked of her. Mother Margarita felt God asking her to simply trust.
Getting to Saipan—A few details about Mother Margarita’s First Missionary Trip in 1928:
August 5 After 25 years of living as a cloistered nun, Mother Margarita departed Berriz, Spain. The first stop was the town of Loyola where she attended mass, kissed the relic of St. Ignatius Loyola and prayed where the great saint prayed and was converted.
August 7 Traveled by train to Lourdes, France and spent time at the
Holy Shrine of the Blessed Mother.
August 10 Boarded the ship in Marseille, France
Along the way, the ship ports in Colombo (India), Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, China then Kobe and Yokohama, Japan. (From Yokohama she took the train to Tokyo).
October 23 Departed Tokyo aboard the Yawata-Maru (The ship must wait
in Futami for the typhoon over Saipan to pass.)
NOVEMBER 2 Mother Margarita Arrived on Saipan
November 5 Departed Saipan to Pohnpei
November 11 Arrived in Pohnpei
November 30 Departed Pohnpei
December 2 Arrived in Fefan, Chuuk
December 6 Mother Margarita Arrived Back to Saipan
December 20 Departed Saipan
December 25 Christmas Day, on board the ship after leaving Saipan, Mother Margarita wrote:
“LOVE AND PRAYER CAN ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHING.”
The Return trip to Spain:
From Saipan, Mother Margarita traveled to Japan, then on to Wuhu, China to visit the Sisters there. After being in China for approximately two weeks, Mother Margarita returned to Japan and on February 2 Mother Margarita went to Nagasaki where she visited the Church of the Martyrs and prays before the sacred relics. A few days later Mother Margarita attended the Inaugural Mass for their house in Sekiguchi where the Mercedarian Sisters had begun to establish a mission. On February 21 Mother Margarita boarded the ship, Empress of France, in Yokohama and crossed the Pacific Ocean on her way back to Berriz via Vancouver, Canada. From Vancouver she travelled trans-continentally by train to Montreal where she boarded another ship, the Montclare, which took her to England. Mother Margarita arrived back in Berriz, Spain on the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19, 1929. This was an incredible round-the-world journey.
Mother Margarita’s journey was not only a journey on cars, ships, and trains, it was above all a spiritual journey of great faith. One thing that is not mentioned much is the fact that Mother Margarita suffered physically. For nearly eight months before her trip, she had been sick in bed, yet she embarked on this trip because it was very important for her to see for herself what was needed for the different missions. Mother Margarita wanted missionaries that knew how to live in God, totally committed to their mission. She wanted missionaries united in love and harmony, truthful, faithful and with open and grand spirits.
Love and prayer can, indeed, accomplish everything!
