Sr. Maria Concepcion Kalaw: First Filipina Maryknoll Sister

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Sr. Maria Concepcion Kalaw: First Filipina Maryknoll Sister

As we celebrate the 500 years of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines this year, it is fitting to remember the beginnings of the missionary spirit that has fueled the spread of Christianity among Filipinos by highlighting and acknowledging the first Filipino members of missionary congregations who came here mostly from Europe and America as missionary evangelizers serving the Filipino faithful especially in far flung areas and then later on inspiring and recruiting members from the locale to continue their missionary work in different mission stations in the country and elsewhere in the world.   Thus we see transformation in terms of the Philippines being a receiving Church to that of a giving Church.  It is now harvest time for the Church of the Philippines.

First Maryknoll Sister

Sr. Maria Concepcion Kalaw nee Dolores Katigbak Kalaw, the first Filipino Maryknoll sister was born in Lipa City on March 9, 1904 to a prominent family of intellectuals and aristocrats. His father, Cipriano Kalaw, a renowned lawyer was one of the staff advisors of General Miguel Malvar and was vice president and treasurer of the Hongkong Junta- the Filipino Revolutionary government organized by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo to advocate Philippine annexation to the United States. Her mother, Feliza Africa Katigbak also belongs to some of the most prominent and respected clans of Lipa.  Growing in a family of patriots and intellectuals, Dolores was exposed to a milieu that valued education and public service.

She was raised in a huge family of 11 siblings. Her sister, Victoria Kalaw is acknowledged as the first female physician in Lipa and is considered as one of the first accredited social workers in the country.  She pursued higher education with vigor, earning a degree in Chemistry.  Before entering religious life, she worked as a laboratory assistant in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines and later as a lecturer in Bacteriology and Chemistry at the Philippine Women's University.   

Calling to Religious Life

In July 1930, Dolores made a life-changing decision to join the Maryknoll Sisters in the United States, becoming the First Filipina to do so. She entered the Maryknoll congregation in July 16, 1930 receiving the name Sr. Maria Concepcion and embraced a life of mission and service.

Missionary Work in the Philippines

After completing her formation, Sr. Maria Concepcion returned to the Philippines in 1934 to continue her mission.  She dedicated herself to education, serving in various capacities in Lucena, Jimenez and Panabo.  Her work involved not only teaching but also establishing educational and extension programs that catered to the needs of local communities especially those in the barrios. She created small projects that later on gave birth to "KIPANA" which in Tagalog stands for "Movement to Uplift the Conditions of the Barrio People," a self-help organization. Her efforts were instrumental in promoting education in underserved areas, reflecting the Maryknoll Sisters' commitment to social transformation through education.

St. Paul Hospital (?) Intramuros
credit: Lakansining.wordpress.com
It seems fitting that the August issue of Maryknoll magazine pays tribute to her efforts through this organization in the article “She Retired to a Busier Life.”

She spent 41 years as a professed religious serving in the congregation’s various ministries until her death in July 19, 1973. Her passing was met with deep sorrow by those who knew her and were touched by her work. 

The response of the people as shown by their presence at her wake and funeral gives testimony to her Christian witness among her own people.

The Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic Congregation

Maryknoll College Day, Manila 1949
credit: Lakansining.wordpress.com
The Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic is the first United States based congregation of women religious founded in the early 20th century for foreign mission work.

With central administration in Ossining, New York, the congregation began in January 1912 with Mother Mary Joseph Rogers as first leader and foundress.

Mother Mary Joseph developed friendship with Fr. James Anthony Walsh which resulted in the founding of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers in 1911 and the Maryknoll Sisters, a year later. Mother Mary Joseph is recognized as one of the co-founders of Maryknoll, along with Fr. James Anthony Walsh and Fr. Thomas Frederick Price.  At present, the Maryknoll congregation has missionary presence in 24 countries around the world. 

Their mission focuses on serving the poor and marginalized, promoting social justice and fostering peace and understanding among diverse cultures.

The Maryknoll sisters arrived in the Philippines in March 1925 upon the invitation of then Archbishop of Manila, Michael J. O’Doherty to administer a normal school for the training of teachers he established in Malabon in 1924.  

The sisters not long after established the St. Mary’s Hall, a dormitory for women near the University of the Philippines Manila, and took over the administration of St. Paul Hospital in Intramuros from the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres. They then branched out to various parts of the country establishing mission stations, schools, health care facilities, and community development programs.  Their work has significantly contributed to the country's educational and social landscape, emphasizing the empowerment of women and the importance of holistic development. The congregation’s most known school is Maryknoll College, now Miriam College Foundation, which started out as the Normal School in Malabon.

The sisters later on gave up administration of schools and hospitals in response to the newly discerned charism of their congregation which puts great emphasis on the missions; serving the poor and the marginalized in the peripheries.


References:  

Lipa's Old Gentry retrieved from https://philippinesbestproperties.weebly.com/blogs/lipas-old-gentry on 07 April 2021.History retrieved from https://www.maryknollsisters.org/about-us/history/ on 07 April 2021.

Sr. Maria Concepcion Kalaw retrieved from https://maryknollmissionarchives.org/deceased-sisters/sister-maria-concepcion-kalaw-mm/ on 07 April 2021.

Maryknoll Sisters in the Philippines by Fr. Miguel A. Bernad, SJ. retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2005/08/08/290444/maryknoll-sisters-philippines#:~:text=A%20Catholic%20normal%20school%20for,old%20convento%20of%20the%20parish.&text=In%20quick%20succession%2C%20Maryknoll%20Sisters%20assumed%20two%20other%20works%20in%20Manila on 07 April 2021.

History retrieved from https://www.maryknollsisters.org/about-us/history/ on 07 April 2021.


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