The Feast day of Blessed Mother Margarita Maria Maturana, which was celebrated on July 24th, was a lovely tribute to a woman whose life was spent bringing the faith to our islands. Bishop Ryan officiated at the 6 p.m. Mass at Mt. Carmel Cathedral that evening, honoring the life of this great missionary. He began with the words of Mother Margarita herself: “Love and Prayer can accomplish everything.” The Mass itself was the “Mass for the Evangelization of Peoples, “which calls all of us to share in the work of spreading the gift of our faith. In his homily, Bishop Ryan, spoke of the 91 years of blessings the islands have experienced due to the vision of Mother Margarita, who was so in love with Christ that she wanted to bring His great love to the ends of the earth. He mentioned that 91 years ago the circumstances of evangelization were different. Mother Margarita traveled great distances to make Christ known, while today we tend to evangelize beginning in our own homes and communities. He also spoke about the on-going efforts toward her sainthood, and how we hope to see her become a canonized Saint one day.
In the Mass, remembrance was made to all the Mercedarian Sisters, those in the field today, and those who have passed on, for their efforts to continue this labor of love that Mother Margarita began. A blessing was also given to all those in attendance whose name was Margarita, Margaret or Daisy. After the blessing they each received a candle with a special daisy honoring Mother Margarita, and had their picture taken with the Bishop. This blessing was received by an assortment of Margarita’s from a 10 month old little girl, to the elderly.
The music sung by the Ave Maria Young Chorale Children’s Choir added a special charm to the occasion and was very uplifting. In attendance also, were a group of girls from Japan. These girls attend the Mercedarian School in Japan and were visiting Saipan this summer and staying at the Maturana House of Prayer.
This yearly event of celebrating the Feast Day of Blessed Margarita Maria Maturana is an opportunity to thank God for the gift that Mother Margarita was to our islands, and to recognize the presence of our sisters, the Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz, who continue to grace us with their works of love and mercy.
