Passionate about Partnership for Mission

About

I am called by my friends and sisters in the community as Anya.  In 1989, when I was 22 years old, after teaching for two years in a diocesan school I joined the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. 

I knew the sisters from the school where I graduated from high school and college:  St. Bridget College, Batangas the first foundation of the Good Shepherd Congregation in the Philippines in 1913.  The witnessing of the sisters in Batangas to the compassion and mercy of Jesus the Good Shepherd confirmed my desire and longing to serve God as a Religious and to commit my whole life to this Jesus who seeks the lost and the outcast.

In Good Shepherd

I made my first profession of vows in 1992, and my perpetual profession of vows in 1997.  Because the majority of my mission involvements were in Education ministry, I was challenged to pursue a Master’s Degree in School Administration and Doctor of Philosophy in School Leadership and Management. 

In 2008, I was a school administrator (Dean of College in Batangas).  At this stage the Philippines Province struggled to pursue Good Shepherd Partnership as one of our Broad Directions.  I wrote a dissertation paper entitled Towards a model of lay empowerment in Catholic educational institutions in the Philippines to help us in strengthening our goal to actualize partnership in mission - at least to start it with our lay mission partners in our education ministry. 

This passion of mine for Good Shepherd Partnership deepened as I become one of the members of Good Shepherd Partnership Team (one of our Province Teams) in 2008.  In 2011, I joined the Province Leadership Team (PLT) to replace one member – ministry councilor whose term ended in that year.  During the 2014 Province Open Chapter, I was again elected for another term as a member of the PLT for 2014 – 2020 and my area of concentration is on Good Shepherd ministries in the province ensuring that our programs and services are prophetic and relevant.  This requires thorough monitoring, coordination and regular assessment of our ministries. 

The Challenges

In addition to this, together with the WJPIC (Women, Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation) team, my responsibilities now include: (a) being the program coordinator of Ruhama Center for Women – a shelter for women and girls in difficult situations (trafficked, sexually abused, working in prostitution, distressed migrants); (b) in charge of Good Shepherd Retreat House – helps in providing a place for prayer and solitude and eco-friendly environment for Good Shepherd people; (c) over-all in-charge of the Rehabilitation Project for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan (d) representing Congregation in Catholic Educational Association in the Philippines as superintendent of 4 Bridget Schools. 

The Inspiration

As a Good Shepherd sister, I am truly grateful that zeal, the fourth vow I profess is nurtured by the Good Shepherd spirituality and richness of the Good Shepherd heritage that I received especially during my formative years as a religious.

Click here to read interview by N.J. Viehland, a correspondent for Global Sisters Report based in the Philippines  -

Q & A with Sr. Maria Ananita Borbon