January 30, 1929 – October 22, 2022

Julia Morales Ayala was born on January 30, 1929 to Juan Morales and Celestina Ayala in Moca, Puerto Rico. She was baptized in the Parish of Our Lady of Monserrat on February 13, 1929. She was the youngest of six, four brothers and her sister, Petra.

She was very close to her family and her many nieces and nephews and their families. She was attentive to her parents when they were very ill, as well as to her sister Petra, who lived close to her when she lived in El Comandante.

When she was sixteen, she wrote her first letter to Mother Mary Francis expressing her hope to enter our congregation after graduation from high school. She wrote, ”For that reason I am taking the liberty of writing to you, begging that you remember me in your prayers and at Mass asking Our Lord to grant me the grace of a vocation to the Sisterhood. The desire to save souls is the only motive that inspires me.” You can see that inspiration motivated Sr. Rose Baptista her entire life. She entered the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity on July 4, 1948 and in the Novitiate received the name Sr. Rose Baptista of the Blessed Sacrament. She made her First Profession of Vows on March 25, 1950 and her Perpetual Profession of Vows in 1954.

Sr. Rose Baptista was always anxious to learn, especially whatever would enhance her ministry. She received her BA in Elementary Education and graduated Cum Laude from Catholic University of Puerto Rico in 1966. She received her MA in Religious Education and graduated with High Honors from Fordham University in 1982. She had other certificates such as Certificate for Religion Teacher from Catholic University of Puerto Rico and attended many workshops and conferences to further develop her skills for ministry and knowledge of theology.

She also served our community and the Missionary Cenacle Family in many ways such as the Puerto Rico Regional Mission Planning Committee, the Task Force for the MCF Spirituality Symposium, Regional Leadership, Journey in Faith Committee, Regional Guide for the MCA and MSBT Vocation Formation contact person. She was the acknowledged historian of the MSBT presence on the Island. Everyone who knew her was aware of her love and commitment to the Missionary Cenacle Family. She was part of the MCF Dios Familia Retreat process from the beginning.

Her first and only mission assignment in the States was at Holy Redeemer for six months in 1950. After that, she was missioned to our school in Coamo, Puerto Rico twice for a total twenty-one years and to our school in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico also twice for a total of six years. Sr. Rose taught in both schools for a combined 27 years. She was, by all accounts, an excellent teacher. Apart from her responsibilities as a teacher, she was a catechist and formed catechists for the towns and surrounding areas for the children and youth who did not attend our schools. She was aware of the many difficulties of the children and their families and felt the need for more preparation to address their anxieties and concerns, especially those of the youth. At that point, in 1976 she asked to study social work and requested to have an experience in social services. She was missioned to Catholic Social Services in San Juan with Sr. Silvia Arias for a very brief time (two months) when Sr. Silvia was approached by the Vicar for Pastoral Ministry in the Archdiocese of San Juan to request that Sr. Rose Baptista be assigned as the Religious Education Coordinator for the Guaynabo-Puerto Nuevo Deanery. So, in 1977 Sister Rose began her ministry there and for the next 38 years she coordinated 20 to 25 parishes. It was an expansive ministry; training catechists and coordinators, developing workshops, special liturgies, retreats, formation of lay leaders and youth encounters, ministry with people with disabilities, and more. Sr. Rose Baptista was excellent in her ministry. She was away one year for full time graduate studies at Fordham University in New York City. While her actual mission placements were few her dynamism, innovation, creativity flourished wherever she was.

Sr. Rose had a friendly, approachable manner; interested in people and desirous of helping them. She had the trust of her colleagues, the laity, the pastors, the catechists, the Bishops. She was a generous, open hearted and missionary to the core. It is very moving to see how in sync she was with the Church, as our Founder, Fr. Judge would say, think with the Church, feel with the Church, sentire cum ecclesia. She knew the Church documents and teachings well and knew how to make them accessible and adaptable in a ways that enriched people’s lives and parish life. She lived and breathed catechesis which the General Directory for Catechesis defines as, ”shaping the minds, heart and spirits of believers, forming them as disciples.” Sr. Rose would say, “Catechesis must reach out to those who are not evangelized and uncatechized as well as to work with the large numbers of people who have been poorly catechized.” This ministry is directly related to our charism. Sr. Rose Baptista received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal for her distinguished service to the Church.

Apart from all her gifts for ministry, Sr. Rose Baptista was a woman of profound faith. She reflected deeply on the scriptures and they impacted her daily life. Her apostolic desire was that people would experience God and God’s love in the providence of their daily lives. Her transition to the Motherhouse from her beloved Puerto Rico was a difficult and painful one. Nevertheless, once at the Motherhouse, she continued to look for ways to serve her sisters. She spent hours in the Chapel and took seriously the Ministry of Prayer. It is so fitting to learn that her mystery was the Blessed Sacrament because her love for the Eucharist was evident in her life.

She was a force of nature and it is impossible to know the number of lives she touched. She had the Cenacle virtue of Zeal to overflowing. She has joined many of her family now and is with the saints of Cenacle Family and we have a powerful intercessor in her for all of us.

We are so grateful for your life with us, Sr. Rose Baptista of the Blessed Sacrament. Well done good and faithful, Missionary Servant of the Most Blessed Trinity.