A Paltokian in New York

On May 3, 2007, our fellow-Paltokian Ms. Donie Lee flew off to the city that never sleeps - not to watch a Broadway production, see the famous Statue of Liberty, join the stampede on the sale day of Macy’s, take pictures of the Times Square, the Trump Tower, the gloomy site where the Twin Towers used to stand, now known as Ground Zero, etc. It’s interesting that while almost everyone who visits there dives into the city’s amazing attractions, drowning themselves in the dazzling sights and sounds that make New York one of the favorite tourist destinations in the world, Donie is there for a totally different reason. She is not one of those “almost everyone”.

New York , New York ! To be a nun in New York may seem like a paradox. But it is not an unrealistic concept, not when a person is driven with all the passion and zeal, which are the very things that will fulfill Donnie’s aspiration to be God’s lady.

The following is her message to us, her fellow ROLP parishioners:

I am leaving not because I am quitting but because I'm going to a place where God has called me. I am joining the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate Community. It's a congregation of contemplative-missionaries whose main apostolate are home-to-home visitation and catechesis.

ROLP is already a part of me. No distance or time could make me forget this parish. This is where I was baptized and confirmed. This is where I received my spiritual nourishment in the Eucharist. This is where I grew up and matured spiritually. I will surely miss ROLP, especially waking up to the music of mass being celebrated (I live just right next to the church) and sleeping hearing all kinds of activities being held both inside the church and the formation center. I will miss everyone - the regular mass goers, my junior and fellow legionaries, Vocation Ministry meetings, EXECOM and PPC meetings, operating the projector, rushing and trying to meet all deadlines with the MACE people and my family of course! Oh, how I'll miss everyone and everything!

I pray that there will be more youth who will respond to God's call to the priestly and religious vocation. I pray that we will also be blessed with holy parents that will rear God-fearing children. I pray for the parish, that it grows, not only in structure but more importantly, but also in terms of the number of parishioners. May their hearts be filled with love of God, compassion for their neighbors and zeal to serve our Lord.

I hope you pray for me, too, and for all seminarians, brothers and sisters undergoing formation. Let's pray for our priests especially Fr. Ronald. Let's give our support to him. He's our pastor, he will lead us to our true Shepherd.

God bless us all and I hope to see you all again someday!

Donnie Lee

Donnie, on behalf of everyone from ROLP, we at the Sinag Resureksyon hope that your involvement in various pastoral work here at ROLP – as Former Vocation Ministry Coordinator (appointed by Fr. Ronald Macale), member of Legion of Mary (LOM) and the Multimedia Advocates for Creative Evangelization (MACE) – have prepared you adequately for this profession. We are proud of you and we will be praying for you, indeed. And when you come back here, we hope to see you looking oh so fine in your blue and white nun’s habit. You go, sister!

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by Claude Despabiladeras