Sister Evelina wants to earn her ticket to heaven

(Special contribution by Eva Visperas)

Old age and illness are not enough to stop this 76-year old Dominican nun who has already spent 50 golden years in her perpetual profession.

Sr. Evelina Enerva, O.P., who belongs to the Congregation of Religious Missionaries of St. Dominic, and pastoral committee coordinator of Dominican School in Dagupan celebrated last Jan. 4 in Blumentritt, San Juan, Metro Manila, together with seven other nuns, her 50th religious profession anniversary concelebrated by Rev. Fr. Jesus Prol, O.P., together with three other Dominican priests.

SISTER EVELINA

Last January 12, “Mother Evelina”, as she is fondly called by her former students at the Blessed Imelda’s Academy (now Dominican School), celebrated her Golden Jubillee of religious vows with 10 newly wed couples whom she had helped to have church wedding, in a Eucharistic Thanksgiving Mass with Bishop Rene Mayugba at the Dominican School here.

Today, at a pace like the world cannot wait another minute, she attends not only to the needs of the abused and battered women at the Haven Center in Bonuan Binloc, Dagupan City, but also provides guidance and counseling to the deaf and the blind, the jobless indigent families, maintains a Sunday School for hungry street children, and coordinates support for the homeless, mentally and emotionally disturbed people, among others.

In fact, when The PUNCH paid her a surprise visit for this interview Monday, she was just getting ready to go out for another mission, another destination which was not even known to the young nun who keeps Sr. Evelina company.

Her life as a nun is one of those stories worth telling and retelling.

She recalls how her entry to the convent was met with violent reaction from her parents and relatives, marked with years of painful indifference. She was a daughter who “disobeyed” her parents and did not deserve love and support. It was only years later when her family learned to accept her decision and came to terms with her vocation – to follow Jesus.

The beginning
of a journey

Sr. Evelina, christened Modesta Agbuya Enerva, is one three daughters of Epifanio and Eulalia Enerva (both deceased) of Alaminos City and San Carlos City, respectively. Her sister Editha (Abesamis) now lives with her family in Lingayen.

She earned her college degree, major in Tagalog, minor in Library Science, at the University of Santo Tomas where she first befriended nuns. It was then she said she became first fascinated by a nun’s habit.

She was not your typical pious girl but for some reason she said she felt a strong calling to enter the convent, and had since hoped to become a nun. But through it all, her mother expressed her disapproval.

But she was determined. She knew nothing and no one could stop her from pursuing her vocation and it was while teaching at a high school in San Carlos City when she felt the “calling” to be more persistent. The turning point came when she finally prayed to Our Lady of Perpetual Help for guidance.

Looking back, as she quoted the Bible,” Jesus said, you have not chosen me but I have chosen you. Go forth and bear fruit that will last”.

Finally, one fateful day she stowed away in the company of some nuns who lent her emotional support. They boarded a Pantranco bus in Dagupan City that brought them to the convent in Sta. Rita Pampanga, leaving behind a “love letter” for her parents informing them of her decision.

The following day, her father, together with some relatives, arrived at the convent and protested, but she stayed her ground and refused to go home with them.

She recalled that her mother even stopped going to Sunday Mass as a way retaliation, and even refused to attend her first perpetual profession as a nun at age 22.

After three years of no communication with her parents, Sr. Evelina returned home to attempt a reconciliation. She recalled it was her mother who opened the door and was surprised to see her. Instantly, they embraced tightly and cried together.

Since then, her family started to visit her regularly at the Blessed Imelda’s Academy.

35 years
in foreign land

After three years as principal of BIA, she was assigned to perform pastoral ministry in Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Santa Paula, California where she worked with the Mexican community that did not speak English. Since she didn’t speak fluent Spanish, she recalled that communication between them was mostly via hand-sign language.

It was then when her love for the Pastoral or Apostolic ministry grew stronger than her teaching profession. She loved every minute of the daily catechetical classes, hospital visitations, visiting nursing homes, prisons, conducting bible services, conducting retreats, among others.

She returned to the Philippines four years ago after her superiors directed all senior nuns to return to their respective homelands.

“High Society”

Sr. Evelina recalled how she was blest with good health and strong legs.

“I was very athletic then,” she said. Then laughing she said, “Now I’m a member of “high society” — with high blood, high cholesterol, and high sugar”.

She said she is thankful because she quickly recovered from a stroke last June, although that resulted in greatly slowly her down. But she remains undaunted and would not be held back from pursuing her apostolic mission.

“I love it. Instead of staying in bed, I’d rather go out and be with the needy,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes. “I can earn my ticket to heaven by doing my pastoral work”.

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