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A letter dated October 19, 1963,
from Reverend Higinio Madrazo, CM., pastor of the new Christ
the King Parish in Ponce, Puerto Rico, solicited at least three
sisters needed by May 1964 to staff a K-5 school in the parish
of Cristo Rey. He described Ponce as the second largest city
on the island, having a Catholic University and 150,000 people
in the parish. “The new convent is the best in the Island
of Puerto Rico,” he added. (72)
Mother Beata replied on November 9, 1963, posing many questions.
(73) Thus began a monthly correspondence between the pastor
of the Parish of Cristo Rey, Reverend Angel Echeverria, CM,
and Mother Beata from November 1963 to April 1964. The interest
engendered by this correspondence led to the decision-making
visit of Mother Beata and Sister John Francis Marley, first
assistant, to Ponce on April 13, 1964. The warm welcome they
received from the priests, people of the parish of Cristo Rey,
and other religious communities of sisters in the area was moving
and impressive.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood provided hospitality
for the travelers. Their superior in Ponce was Sister Ursula
Marie, SSJ, who, as it happened, was a niece of IHM Sister Terence
McGirr. Sister Ursula Marie was an experienced guide, as Mother
Beata and Sister John Francis were introduced to Puerto Rican
culture and beauty. The decision to send IHM Sisters to serve
in the parish of Cristo Rey was undoubtedly crystallized during
this visit. (74)
Two months later, on June 22, 1964, Sisters Mary Gordon (Jeanne)
Tubach, Aquinas Shilling and Teresa Mary Gilhool were saying
their farewells as they left Marywood in Scranton to travel
to New York to join their fourth traveler, Sister Theodore (Maria)
Voorneveld, who was then stationed at St. Alphonsus in New York.
The little band stayed overnight at St. Alphonsus. Early on
the morning of June 23, 1964, they flew from New York to San
Juan, then on to Ponce, a bumpy twenty-five minute ride by small
plane.
What a welcome awaited the four IHM Sisters, as throngs of children,
parents, priests and sisters serving at other parishes on the
island greeted their arrival! Speeches, music, flowers and food
were part of this sincere and warm welcome. (75)
Eight days later, stern reality set in as the sisters began
Spanish classes at the University of Puerto Rico, aware that
school would be starting on August 16, just six weeks away.
The patron of languages was surely on their side as they successfully
negotiated the challenge of teaching in the Spanish language,
and the sisters endeared themselves to the students who politely
corrected any small grammatical errors made by their teachers.
The first year of the IHMs in Ponce, Puerto Rico had its share
of recreational experiences as the sisters were gradually introduced
to cultural events, people, and places to be remembered on the
island. There was an excellent rapport developed with other
religious communities, especially the IHMs from Monroe and the
Brentwood Sisters of St. Joseph. The first visitor from the
States was Mrs. Gilhool, mother of Sister Teresa Mary, who arrived
on December 29 for a visit. On January 12, Sister Brendan and
Sister Aquina came from Marywood for a two-week visit. In February,
Betty Braun, sister of Sister Karen Braun, stopped by. All of
these visits brought a touch of home to the sisters and provided
an opportunity for them to be the new tourist guides. (76)
Throughout the year the sisters were becoming more and more
aware of the poverty of some of their near neighbors, and the
distinctions being made even by the Church between academy children
and barrio children. Separate classes were given, for example,
in preparation for First Communion, and separate ceremonies
held for such occasions. Mother Beata had been made aware during
her visit of the needs of the barrio children, but her advice
to the sisters was that they not undertake the extended work
for a few years until the school was firmly established. However,
some of the priests of the mountain parishes who were dedicated
to the work in the barrios pressured the sisters for assistance.
By October of the second year in Ponce, the Sisters were deeply
involved in catechetical instructions in the barrios. (77)
The second year of IHM presence in Ponce, Puerto Rico saw the
addition of Sister LaSallette Connell to the faculty at Cristo
Rey, which now numbered five sisters, including the principal,
Sister Mary Gordon (Jeanne), and four lay teachers. There were
244 pupils enrolled. The pastor, Father Echeverria, CM, always
full of gratitude for the Sisters, wrote to Mother Beata, “Thanks
for the new Sister. We have now five angels in the Parish. We
are very happy with their work in the past school year.”
(78)
It was an exciting fall as construction of the new wing on the
school proceeded. The first floor included a Salon Iglesia,
and three large classrooms made up the second floor. A completely
new lavatory section was built for the older children. The highlight
of the fall semester was the visit of Mother Beata and Sister
St. Mary Orr from December 9 to December 18, 1965. With the
sisters already experienced tour guides, the visitors enjoyed
seeing Puerto Rico through their eyes. During this visit, plans
were made for the building of a chapel in honor of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary in Barrio Layuca to be sponsored by the IHM Congregation.
Mrs. C. Bruce of Long Island, New York gave $2,000 toward this
project.
At this time the Congregation at large was studying possible
modifications or changes to the habit and veil worn by the sisters.
The sisters in Puerto Rico volunteered to experiment with some
of the suggested variations, since there was a need for them
to change the blue serge habit to white because of the intense
heat in Puerto Rico. Their suggestions for Puerto Rico included
lighter weight materials and a change from the bonnet to a light
band and veil. Mother Beata and Sister St. Mary approved these.
The sisters would wear their new habits for the first time on
December 26, 1965.
References:
72. Reverend Higinio Madrazo, CM. Letter to Mother Beata Wertz.
October 19, 1963. Annals of Convento Cristo Rey, Ponce, Puerto
Rico
73. Mother Beata Wertz, IHM. Letter to Rev. Higinio Madrazo,
CM. November 9, 1963. Annals of Convento Cristo Rey, Ponce,
PR
74. Annals of Convento Cristo Rey, Puerto Rico, 1963-1964
75. Ibid.
76. Ibid.
77. Sister Jeanne Tubach, IHM. Notes of June 11, 1995. Archives
78. Reverend Angel Echeverria. Letter to Mother Beata Wertz,
IHM. July 7,1965
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