Visiting nuns thank local Rotary Club

Visiting Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz Sisters Filo Hirota, second right, and Mary Anne Becmer, right, join Japanese exchange students Shiori Koiki, third left, and Riko Yamamura, third right, from the Rotary Club of Tokyo Hachioji South as guesst in yesterday’s Rotary Club of Saipan meeting. Also in photo are Sisters Maris Stella Ifenuk, left, and Martha Ramarui. (Jon Perez)

Visiting nuns of the Mercedarian Sisters of Berriz were thankful for the help the Rotary Club of Saipan extended to members of their religious congregation that operates the Maturana House of Prayer.

Some buildings inside the compound of the Navy Hill prayer facility, which also doubles as retirement home for MMB nuns, suffered damage when Typhoon Soudelor ripped through Saipan in August of last year.

Maturana is open not only to Catholics but also for other Christian groups on Saipan that want to use the facility for prayer meetings, workshops, and retreat.

Mercedarian Sisters Filo Hirota, Mary Anne Becmer, Arantza Lerchundi, and Julia Prado attended yesterday’s Saipan Rotary meeting at the Giovanni’s restaurant of the Hyatt Regency Saipan. Sisters Maris Stella Ifenuk and Martha Ramarui accompanied them in the said meeting.

Hirota is the Mercedarian Sisters’ general coordinator with Becmer, Lerchundi, and Prado as general counselors. Hirota and Becmer along with Japanese exchange students from the Rotary Club of Tokyo Hachioji South—Shiori Koiki and Riko Yamamura—were the Rotary’s guests yesterday.

Becmer has spent 25 years of her missionary life in Micronesia with his work on Saipan mostly involved with Guma Esperanza Women’s Shelter. She is now in charge of the formation of the postulants and novices of the Mercedarian Sisters.

Ifenuk, the Maturana House of Prayer director, and Ramarui were also present in a similar meeting a few weeks ago where they asked Rotarians for assistance that would help them with the cost of repairs. Rotarians pledged to help the sisters.

“My brother-in-law is also a Rotarian, so I know the service that you do to the community where you belong. Thank you to all of your support and help. Thanks to you, our sisters can and will continue with their service here in the community,” said Hirota, who was the first Catholic convert from their family.

The Mercedarian Sisters has established missions in the United States, South America, Africa, Asia, Micronesia, and Europe. They are mostly involved in helping people be released in all forms of captivity and oppression.

“We believe that we are all equal regardless of race, color, and gender. We all know that but it is a challenge for us. We also believe in universality and diversity could be a value,” added Hirota, who is an executive committee member of Pax Christi International.

She is also in charge of the inter-congregational Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation network ad-hoc working group.