January 21, 1932 – June 20, 2022
In June 1952 when Margarita was a senior at San Miguel school in Utuado she wrote to Mother Mary Francis, “I received the booklet you sent and after having read it carefully I was convinced that this is the order which I was seeking, and the one in which my Heavenly Father wants me to serve him. I have known and visited several others but no one has been so interesting like yours.” It turned out to be a perfect match.
Sr. Margarita entered the Missionary Servants on August 7, 1952. In the Novitiate, she received the name, Sr. Mary Victor of the Child Jesus. She made her first profession of vows on March 25, 1954 and Perpetual Profession of Vows on March 25, 1957.
As we look at her life as a missionary these are only the facts, we have seen her in action and it is not hard to bring the facts to life in our memories and imaginations.
In April 1954, Margarita went to Holy Name of Jesus Hospital to study nursing. She graduated as an RN September 1957. She employed her nursing skills in various ways over the next many years in diverse ministry settings. She was assigned to the San Lorenzo Dispensary in Cuba as head nurse from October 1957 until August of 1959 amid the chaos of the Revolution. From there, Margarita went to the Orphanage in Bethany, Oklahoma. In August 1960 and for the next eight years, Margarita ministered at Dr. White Settlement House in Brooklyn as a settlement nurse. In September 1968, she was missioned for the first time to her native Puerto Rico, to Humacao as a nurse with the elderly. She returned in 1977 to a Day Care Center for Senior Citizens-Project Hope, as a registered nurse. She also served one year at Holy Name of Jesus Hospital in the interim.
In August 1980, she came to the Motherhouse for part time studies at Holy Family College in Philadelphia and St. Joseph’s College in North Windham, Maine. She also served as a nurse in Health Services at our Motherhouse while she completed her studies. In May 1983, she received a Bachelor of Science Degree from St. Joseph’s College, Maine.
In addition to ministry as a missionary nurse, Margarita was involved in Parish Pastoral Ministry. She served in Sacred Heart Chapel in Lorain, Ohio, in Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Bueanvista Tomatlan, Michoacán, Mexico where at the invitation of Fr. Eugene Mueller, S.T., she and Sr. Carmen Teresa opened our first mission in Mexico. Sr. Margarita also served in parish ministry at San Francisco de Assis, Temascalapa, Mexico. She was in ministry with our Missionary Servant priests and brothers in all three parishes.
From September 1984 to August 1995 Margarita was in ministry at Los Centros Sor Isolina in Ponce Playa. In September 2000, Margarita returned to Puerto Rico and spent the next 19 years on the Island. From 2000 to 2008, her ministry was an outreach worker for CSS in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. She was a visiting nurse and visited the jails, among other ministries. In 2008, Margarita returned to Los Centros Sor Isolina in Ponce as an outreach worker until 2013. She went to El Commandante, San Juan briefly and ministered in Los Centros in Caimito, San Juan. In 2014 she continued to live in El Commandante, but her ministry was the ministry of Prayer, From 2015-2018, her residence was Ponce, Puerto Rico. She returned briefly to El Commandeante in 2018 for a year, and then came to the Motherhouse, to continue her ministry of Prayer. Just a couple of weeks ago after a hospital stay she went to Mother Boniface Missionary Cenacle at Wesley.
Over the years, Margarita had some serious health challenges but she continued to adapt and continue ministry, as she was able.
She served our community in various ways, as well, as regional leader, on the extended Vocation Formation Team. She was the International Guide of the MCA. She was completely dedicated to the Missionary Cenacle Family. She invited many people to the MCA in most of her mission experiences.
She was a missionary through and through. She wrote from Buenavista Tomatlán “I love it here already. It is only 24 hours or maybe less, but I know for sure this is the place the Lord wants to use me at present.” That seemed to be her constant attitude, in love with God, in love with God’s people.
In evaluations of her ministries and cenacle living she was described with these adjectives over and over, community builder, creative, positive, joyous, faith filled, prayerful, inspirational, effervescent, energetic, radiates enthusiasm and joy in the Lord, a free spirit.
In 2012, Margarita had two books of her poetry published to help with our community’s economic situation. She was highlighted in a newspaper article in Puerto Rico as one of two women poets. In introducing her, it reads, “…if angels took on flesh to live among us, Sister Margarita is a living example of one.”
One of the questions on our yearly ministry evaluation was, ‘Briefly describe how you see that your present ministry reflects our charism and devotion to the Trinity. One year she wrote “Seeing in each person the image of God I sign with the cross each person that I visit. As I serve the needy I see the Triune God leading me into dimensions of trust, hope and love to bring about gladness of heart.”
How do you sum up a life like Sr. Margarita? Perhaps with Fr. Judge’s words “What more beautiful legacy can you leave than that of an example and life fragrant and rich in the Cenacle traditions. This means that even after your death you will be continuing your apostleship through others whom your virtue has attracted to the service of God. Such will be my constant prayer for you; do make it your constant effort.”
We thank Margarita for your life, for your witness and example of fidelity and love as a Missionary Servant of the Most Blessed Trinity.