Oblate Sisters Elect New Leadership

COTABATO CITY – The 11th General Chapter of the Oblate of Notre Dame (OND) Sisters meeting at the OND Shalom Hall in Tamontaka, DOS, Maguindanao elected the five new members of the General Administration Team on May 19, 2013, Pentecost Sunday, at 2:00 pm, after which they were publicly proclaimed by the Most Rev. Orlando B. Quevedo, archbishop of Cotabato, during the Eucharistic Celebration he presided over right after the 23 capitulars had cast their secret ballots.

The five newly elected leaders are: Sr. Carmelita “Millette” Y. Olifernes—Superior General, Sr. Erlinda “Linda” C. Hisug—1st Councilor & Asst. General, Sr. Bernadette “Badette” G. Baldemor, 2nd Councilor, Sr. Estrella B. Corotan, 3rd Councilor, and Sr. Nenita “Nenette” A. Juntilla, 4th Councilor.

Sr.Millette, a waray from Calbayog City, is 32 yrs in the religious institute since she pronounced her 1st vows in 1981, and was part of the last General Council as Apostolate Coordinator and School Superintendent for the past 8 years; she was a high school teacher before she entered and after her profession, was assigned in the Parish/Diocesan and School apostolates and in the Formation program.

Sr. Linda, the past Junior Directress, was born in Koronadal City, had obtained a Psychology degree from FEU, Manila, and was member of the faculty of the Notre Dame of Marbel University before she joined the congregation. As professed OND for 30 yrs., she had served in the media apostolate as research-consultant in Radio Veritas Asia & station manager of DXGD, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, and also in the Family and Life Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Cotabato.

A Boholana from Taloto, Tagbilaran City and part of the previous General Team is Sr. Badette who joined the OND in 1988 or 25 yrs. ago after her graduation from Notre Dame University in Cotabato City. She attended to various ministries/programs of the congregation—Vocation, Formation, Retreat, and Parish assignments in Cotabato and Basilan.

Sr. Estrella, a native of Makilala, North Cotabato and the past Asst. General, is already 40 yrs. professed in the OND family, since she joined after her teaching stint at the Notre Dame of Kabacan under the ONDs. She had spent many years in the congregation’s program of formal education and catechetical training (Notre Dame Center for Catechetics – NDCFC dean of studies) and a year’s pastoral involvement in the parish of Kidapawan, North Cotabato.

From Digos City, Davao del Sur, hails the 4th General Councilor Sr. Nenette, who has been 34 years with the OND since she arrived in 1979, three yrs. later making her 1st profession. Her last assignments were with the Marist universities in Kidapawan, Gensan and Marbel as Religious Program/Campus Ministry coordinator, and in the earlier years as classroom teacher-directress/principal in OND schools, NDCFC directress, parish worker in Isabela, Basilan, and Vocation Directress.

In his homily, the bishop assured the sisters of his and the priests’ and religious’ prayers for the success of the Chapter Meeting that was undertaking a serious review and assessment of the sisters’ living out of their founding charism & spirituality expressed in their varied apostolic ventures, while he also encouraged the new team to “exercise a servant leadership with the unconquerable Force from within which is Integrity in order ‘to set ablaze God’s mission in the wilderness’—the Chapter theme.”

Sr. Millette extended “thanks to all the sisters for the encouraging assurance of your support that consoles me with the feeling that I am not alone in the task, most of all because I have entrusted myself to God and whatever be His plans for me,” adding that this expresses the OND motto in her striving to “Please God Always” (Jn. 8:29).

By Sr. Marietta Alo, OND/Contributor