Actress/Environmentalist heeds call to be a Carmelite nun

Renowned actress and environmentalist Chin Chin Gutierrez is now a full-fledged consecrated sister of the Carmelites.

In a report posted at the pep.ph website (Philippine Entertainment Portal), Gutierrez is now named Sr. Lourdes.

Before becoming a religious sister, Sr. Lourdes or Sr. Maria Carminia Lourdes Cynthia Arnaldo Gutierrez was known for her kontrabida roles in teleseryes.

She has been active in promoting her advocacy to protect the environment—an advocacy which can be traced to her lineage being the daughter of botanist Dr. Hermes Gutierrez and former Franciscan nun-turned-painter Cecilia Arnaldo.

The report says that Sr. Lourdes has always felt the call to serve the Lord throughout her life.

In a video interview Portraits in Faith on Youtube, Sr. Lourdes said that the first major sign came to her when her philosophy professor in college challenged her notion about the existence of God.

She said, “Believe it or not, it actually touched a core in my being. The fact that we could question the existence of God in a very Catholic school.”

“Maybe nobody noticed it, but I approached my professor and asked, ‘I know this is for the grade, but is anyone going to take care of my soul while I’m at it?’

“‘While my mind is trying to convince myself and to find proof that God does not exist, does not God hear me? And is anyone going to be responsible for my soul?’

“And he smiled and he said, ‘Continue, continue. You’re entering something very interesting and beautiful, so pursue that even as you try to make the grade.’

“For some reason, I understood what he meant and that was the, I think, the awakening of consciousness for me. The quest has begun…

“There’s more beyond that we can all comprehend and what we are conditioned to believe is probably a beginning, but truth is the journey that He wants us to all take.

“Just like a father to a child, to his daughter, He would love that His daughter knows Him personally. And truly, just not know about Him, about His works… so I said, ‘Yes, I will take that journey.’”

At 49, Sr. Lourdes continues to fulfill her desire to serve the Lord through the consecrated life.