Sister Martha retires as Sister Remedios principal

After 10 years of “joyful” service, Sister Martha Ramarui, MMB, retires as principal of Sister Remedios Early Childhood Development School.

The 77-year-old nun from Palau recited her vows in 1959 and has since been helping the young and the old, the poor and hungry in Palau, Saipan, Guam and even Guatemala.

Sister Martha Ramarui, M.MD, stands in front of the Sister Remedios Early Childhood Development School, where she will retire as principal after 10 years of service. (Dennis B. Chan)

As principal and teacher, she said she is concerned with laying the “foundation of life” for students, focusing on the “wholesome” development of a child.

“By age 6, we should know everything we need to learn,” she said.

She noted that between the ages of 3 and 5, a child forms the foundation for the rest of his or her childhood, and that an environment that is loving, safe, and free teaches a child to have self-esteem and respect for self and others.

Sister Martha said she has found “joy in serving” these last 10 years despite the woes the school faced financially, noting that she has had to lay off teachers in her tenure as principal as the school had to balance the constant struggle between meeting costs and raising tuition.

She said the school’s dedicated staff and teachers as well as parent cooperation helped the school earn funds with walkathons, pizza nights, and soup-to-go food sales.

She noted that tax donations from generous members of the community have been “the biggest help” in their success.

What motivates Sister Martha is service. “The highlight of my whole life, I’ve been in the community for 60 years is, has been service. Service. In the latter years of my life, we get salaries for what we do, but in the earlier years, we served for free.”

She said that being able to love and serve the people she is in touch with is key.

“I started my mission and my ministry ever since 1960. It’s still like it’s only yesterday, it is truly wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.”

In deciding to retire, she was offered a return to Palau, but she refused, calling Saipan “home.”

“The people here on Saipan, whether they’re Bangladeshi or Chamorros, or Carolinians or Filipinos or whatever, they’re my people,” she said.

Ramarui said she “still has work to do,” as she intends to transfer to the Maturana House of Prayer and work with the elderly.

“I’m going to give a hand there, and I’m going to love it too,” she said.