They say favors granted from heaven are graces that remind us that there is a God who hears the prayers of those who intercede for us. Mother Margarita, like Saint Theresa (the Little Flower), said she would help us from heaven, and she has helped many people in various parts of the world, as well as right here on Saipan.
The DeLeon Guerrero (Apa) family have known the Mercedarian Sisters since they first arrived on Saipan. According to Angie DeLeon Guerrero, her mom, Maria Villagomez DeLeon Guerrero, was nine years old when Mother Margarita first visited Saipan. Angie’s dad, Antonio Reyes DeLeon Guerrero, now deceased, kept a diary about the Mercedarian Sisters and their contributions to the faith of our island. Much of it has been lost, but what does remain is a beautiful testament to Mother Margarita, her work and her favors. The love of Mother Margarita was made real in Antonio’s own life, when his wife Maria, was admitted to the Naval Hospital, then located at the present site of the Maturana House of Prayer. It was 1955, and Maria was suffering from excruciating abdominal pain. The doctors concurred that Maria should undergo surgery immediately after hospitalization. With the operation pending, Maria asked Antonio to have the Mercedarian Sisters offer prayers and light vigil candles for her intention. The Sisters responded wholeheartedly, and suggested they put a medal of Mother Margarita on her abdomen, which they provided. Once the medallion was placed on her, the pain immediately disappeared, and everyone was overjoyed. Consequently, the surgery was never performed.
Another miraculous event, told to Antonio, by Vicente Gogue, who worked with Antonio in the local municipality, took place in 1960. Vicente was originally from Guam and was told that a change of environment might improve his severe asthma. So he came to Saipan hoping for better health. One evening he had a severe attack, and was hospitalized. He began to pray for relief from his suffering. The next morning he related to Antonio: “Last night while I was praying, a lady appeared and said ‘I am Margarita,’ and told me that I would recover completely from asthma.”Shortly afterwards, the asthma vanished, never to reoccur again. Since the man had not known of Mother Margarita, his description of her was amazingly accurate. The most beautiful outcome of the incident was that the man became a devotee of Mother Margarita and through this favor, developed a closer love and devotion to God.
The Apa Family has always had and continues to have a very close bond with the Mercedarian Sisters. It began in 1928 when Madre Pia taught Maria a speech in Spanish to greet Mother Margarita upon her arrival on Saipan. Later, Madre Pia prepared Maria and Antonio DeLeon Guerrero for marriage. The family continues to carry a sense of love and gratitude for the work of the Sisters. Angie’s Dad, Antonio Reyes DeLeon Guerrero, always told his family to “take good care of the sisters.” In 1984, Angie and her mother, Maria, visited the Mercedarian Motherhouse in Berriz, Spain. They visited Madre Pia, and to their surprise Madre Pia was still fluent in Chamorro and Maria still remembered her speech in Spanish!
Resources: The Establishment of the Mercedarian Sisters in the Marianas and Caroline Islands by Antonio Reyes DeLeon Guerrero, June 3, 1981. (Translated by Herman O. DeLeon Guerrero)
Interview with Angie DeLeon Guerrero, July 2019.
