Living Home in Faith
In 1719, the sisters left Calumpit Bulacan, their hometown and made their way to the vicinity of San Sebastian in Manila.
There, near the shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, they lived simply and devoted themselves to prayer, work, and a life increasingly centered on God.
Their decision required courage.
They did not know everything that would follow.
They simply responded to the light God gave them.
And that yes became the beginning of something much greater than themselves.
Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint John the Baptist (Calumpit Church)
A Community Begins
The sisters' life of prayer and devotion gradually attracted others.
Under the guidance of the Augustinian Recollect Fathers, they were eventually permitted to receive the habit as tertiaries of the Augustinian Recollect tradition in 1725. The small community associated with San Sebastian became the seed from which the future Congregation would grow.
Mother Cecilia Rosa died in 1731, and Mother Dionisia followed in 1732. Yet the life they began did not end with them.
Their spirit endured.
Their sisters continued.
Their mission grew.
San Sebastian Basilica, Quiapo, Manila
Their Yes Continues in Us
The world in which Mother Dionisia and Mother Cecilia Rosa lived is very different from ours. But the human heart still searches. God still calls. The Church still needs women of prayer, courage, compassion, and faith.