“Forever in Mission”

TAMONTAKA, MAGUINDANAO — Sister Mary Paul [Emelinda] Gabucan Diorico, 66, of the Oblate of Notre Dame (OND) Society, was solemnly conveyed to her final resting place at the OND Graveyard in Tamontaka, D.O.S., Maguindanao on 04 April 2018, after the 9:00 AM Funeral Mass celebrated at the Our Lady of Hope Chapel presided over by his Eminence, Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, with Oblate of Mary Immaculate (OMI) priests as co-presiders.

Yielding to the extensive onslaught of liver cirrhosis on the early dawn (2:32 AM) of Easter Sunday, 01 April 2018, did not mean a meeting with death for Sr. Mary Paul as she had often divulged her determined wish to still “go on mission as it pleased the Lord,” keeping up with the call of evangelization even beyond the perimeters of Mother Earth. The meaning and call to mission was part of the motivating factor behind the deceaed’s choice of her new religious name when she entered in 1971. She chose “Mary” for being a Woman of Faith, and “Paul” for being a Man for Mission.

Sr. Mary Paul was born in Pastrana, Leyte on 24 October 1951, the 2nd of eight children of Alfredo Diorico and Zenona Gabucan. From her home place on 24 April 1971, she entered the OND Society and pronounced her first vows on 31 May 1973. Her devotion to Mary led her to choose as motto our Lady’s words in the Magnificat: “My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in my Savior.” Six years later on 25 March 1979 she voiced her perpetual consecration to God.

It was on this date, 39 years later on 25 March 2018, Palm Sunday, that a bedridden Mary Paul sang a festive thank you in her heart with her caregivers, but hours later was rushed to the Notre Dame Hospital where she spent holy week in union with our Suffering Savior. She ended her dolorous tribulation on Easter Sunday with a glorious “yes” to the call of the Risen Lord to finally come home.

The passion for mission led Sr. Mary Paul to all the types of mission engagements of the OND Society throughout her 44 years in the apostolate, from 1973-2017. She served in various pastoral/ catechetical apostolates; worked at the DXMS/DXND Radio Stations in Cotabato and Kidapawan cities; taught religion subjects in OND and non-OND schools; and pioneered the OND presence in Hospital chaplaincy and Medical Social Services at the Western Mindanao Medical Center in Zamboanga City. She also shared her course specialization in banking and finance as Assistant General Treasurer and above all, displayed a 2nd passion for the Vocation ministry by her unceasing promotion and recruitment of candidates to the Society as Vocation Directress.

Sr. Mary Paul was always known for her pro-active liveliness, talkativeness, resourcefulness, sharp wit, and generosity in time of need. Her illness did not prevent her from reading text messages, answering phone calls, and welcoming visitors, highly appreciating the time they gave to her. Meantime, she also kept closely in touch with her siblings and relatives, among whom her Ate Elsie [Mrs. Elizabeth D. Simbulan] represented the family in helping take care of her till the very end, and also in connecting with friends and mission partners in mission places where Sr. Mary Paul had been assigned.

Prayer life remained a “first” for Mary Paul and she never missed prayer time with the community or in private, even during her illness. The OND Motto (Jn 8:29) was foremost in her heart and her lips, as she would often affirm her “yes” to whatever pleases the Lord. Much as she still wanted to be on active mission, she accepted whatever mission pleased the Lord as her Missio Dei, continuing to the next life, or “forever in mission.”