OBITUARY OF SR. REBECCA MAGLALANG August 10, 1945 – May 23, 2020
“I have run the race to the finish, I have kept the faith.” In the evening of May 23, 2020, Sr. Rebecca completed her run, faithful to her Lord through months of intense pain and suffering. It was the eve before the solemnity of the Lord’s Ascension when He took her with Him to share in His resurrected life. It was a time when the country was still placed on Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), prohibiting people to come and pay their last respects. But this is Sr. Rebecca in life and in death. A strong advocate of simplicity of lifestyle even to her students and their parents, faculty and staff, the lockdown or ECQ is perfect timing to a simple funeral that she undoubtedly would want. Even in death, Sr. Rebecca is a teacher, teaching all of us a lesson.
If community and family members, former students, parents, teachers and staff are to be asked for one word to describe Sr. Rebecca, that word would be “strict”. Attached to this word will be a footnote that would read: “it means also disciplined, efficient, systematic, structured, hardworking.” However, the preposition BUT follows this description because for people who knew her well, contrasts meet in her person. She was strict but compassionate, strong in character but also vulnerable, exacting but cheerful, talkative but also had her quiet moments, uncompromising in her views but also tender at heart. It was easy to read her personality because she was frank, straightforward, transparent and consistent until her deathbed. She was her person, no pretensions, no façade, and no false image to protect.
It seems that most of the significant events that have happened in her life took place in the months of August and May. She was born on August 10, 1945 in San Fernando, Pampanga, the second of 9 children of Francisco Maglalang and Araceli Paras. She was baptized 14 days later. Holding a special devotion to Mary, her vocation story unfolded mostly in the month of May. She entered postulancy on May 30, 1984, was initiated into the novitiate a year later on May 26, made her first profession of vows on May 31, 1987 and died on the 23rd of May, 8 days short of celebrating her 33rd anniversary of profession.
The journey that finally led to the convent had a long but interesting prelude. Schooled by our Sisters in St. Scholastica’s Academy, San Fernando, Pampanga, the attraction to religious life began early in Grade School, with an inspiration provided by the German Sisters. But it was not meant to be until many, many years later, after a degree in Education major in Biological Science and minor in Physical Education at the University of Sto. Tomas, a nearly- completed Master’s in Teaching at St. Louis University in Baguio and a long, established teaching career at SSA-San Fernando that the doors of the convent finally opened to her.
If Miss Maglalang was able to successfully shape the minds of her students in San Fernando, Pampanga as a lay teacher, her influence spread even wider when she taught now as Postulant Rebecca in St. Scholastica’s Academy- Marikina. She was one of the teachers who was strict yet got the attention and interest of almost the whole class. Several of her students even thought of becoming nuns because of her.
It was no surprise that Sr. Rebecca made the same impact as an administrator. After completing a Masters in Educational Administration and Supervision at the Ateneo de Manila University and a PhD in Organizational Development and Planning at the Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Development Institute (SAIDI), she became a seasoned administrator, leading our schools into heights of excellence. Assigned in various administrative positions at Holy Family Academy-Angeles, St. Scholastica’s College-Manila, St. Scholastica’s Academy-Bacolod, Holy Family Academy-Sum-ag and St. Scholastica’s Academy-San Fernando, she also served as superior of the community where some of these schools were located. As administrator she was competent and responsible, stood up for principles and values and did not entertain requests for favors. As superior she looked after the well-being of her members, nurturing them with her thoughtfulness and concern, while at the same time enjoining them to the discipline of monastic life.
Having spent most of her service in the school apostolate, she oftentimes worried about how she could help the poor. She made conscious efforts to this end, fundraising for outreach projects and directing people to where help was needed. She was very generous and quietly helped our other schools that were not doing well and supported our social apostolate communities.
In the middle of January of this year, Sr. Rebecca submitted to medical tests she had been shunning. She has lost so much weight. When she went to hospital, she had to be confined because she could no more bear the pain. The tests revealed that she had late-stage metastatic cancer.
How Sr. Rebecca dealt with her illness reveals her strong character and discipline. She had much pain but did not cry out or complain, only admitting to her pain when asked. She took stock of her situation and, after receiving an answer from her oncologist, decided that she did not want to undergo chemotherapy if there is little or no chance of a cure. Then she prepared for the inevitable. This meant gradually letting go – of her plans for the school, for they were facing an accreditation visit this coming school year, her plans for her community. These, and the many other plans she had, she gave up without fretting, without looking back.
The last thing she had to face was the fear of death. Before Sr. Rebecca died, she did not sleep for four days. When asked why, she replied: “fear of death,” fear that if she slept she will not wake up. Having named her fear may have been the final hurdle for her, for very quickly, it became obvious that she was beginning to transition to another realm of existence. Having turned to God throughout her illness, she had no more fear and was ready to go to God. But not before thanking everybody who did anything at all for her: the Sisters, the caregivers, her family.
After the First Vespers of the Ascension, the Sisters, individually, went to bid Sr. Rebecca goodbye. In a little more than an hour, she peacefully gave up her soul to God.
We thank God for Sr. Rebecca. We are sad that she is gone, but as in life she was attentive to the needs of the Priory and the community, we are comforted by the thought that even now, she will continue to intercede for us to God.
Prioress and Sisters Manila Priory