A Feast of Self-Offering

“I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of his people.” – Ps 116:14

On June 21, Feast of St Aloysius Gonzaga, the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary celebrated the First Profession of Sr. Fe Algar Cantila, PM. She is the 10th child of the 11 children of Mr. and Mrs. Casiano Cantila of Malalag Davao del Sur. Sr. Fe studied high school at a PM School and after college she taught for 7 years in Holy Cross of Malalag. She joined the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary Congregation in 2021.

First Profession is always a family celebration. The Sisters from their different mission areas came to the Provincial House Campus in Catalunan Grande to celebrate together this festive occasion. Sr. Fe on the other hand, was joined by her siblings, nephews/grandnephews and nieces/grandnieces. Her parents happily brought her during the entrance procession to her designated place. Both Sr. Fe’s spiritual and biological family ushered her to the new chapter of her journey.

Fr. Orlando Angelia, was the Presider of the Liturgy of First Profession. He was concelebrated by Fr. Michael Ondras, Jr. and Msgr. Edgar Rodriguez. Fr. Ruperto Jamili III, was the Master of the Ceremony. The choir from Sto. Rosario Parish in Toril heavenly sung the hymns which had marked the occasion a sense of Divine Worship with, Mr. Kerwin Zamora on the organ accompaniment.

Fr. Orly picked the lines of St Paul, “I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” He explained that although Sr. Fe left his family to be a Religious Sister, that does not literally mean her family is not important. Love of the family is wonderfully important, but should not supersede love and knowing God. It is the value of entrusting Sr. Fe’s family to God, for God loves her family too. It was a moment of enlightenment because Sr. Fe Cantila’s parents heard what they needed to hear: Sr. Fe loves them and nothing can change that. Thank you Fr. Orly!

The First Profession of Vows of Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience marked the beginning of Sr. Fe’s vowed life. Although these vows were initially taken for just one year, they awakened in her a desire to consecrate herself to the Lord forever. A vocation to religious life is a beautiful gift from God, nurtured within the Church, growing within the Church, and ultimately directed towards serving the Church and God’s people. This commitment reflects the deep and selfless dedication that embodies the essence of religious life.

We pray for the grace of fidelity and perseverance in her vocation as a consecrated Religious of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary. God bless you Sr. Fe! (Sr. Charito Gorgonio, PM)