Sister Natividad Aponte and Sister Felipe Lopez had special visitors throughout the summer. Most recently, Sister Natividad’s godchild, Tonita Torres, visited from their homeland, Puerto Rico. Tonita shared news with the sisters on the recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria. While much progress has been made in San Juan and surrounding areas to get the electricity and water running again, there is still so much left to do - especially in the poorer communities in the mountains and rural areas, where many of the homes still standing are covered in tarp, as roofs were ripped away by the hurricane. Her heart aches for the people still struggling in the aftermath, and she does as much as she can to provide support to those in need through her church.
Sister Natividad’s godchild enjoyed her visit with her godmother and with the other sisters at Villa Assumpta – even bowling a strike on her first throw at Bowling Night! Sister Natividad holds her family and friends in a special place in her heart, especially since, at age 93, she no longer travels to Puerto Rico. She expressed her gratitude for her community and vocation and talked about her ministry. Sister Natividad entered the congregation in 1951 in Puerto Rico and completed the novitiate in Baltimore in 1954, professing first vows in the summer of 1955. Over the years she has served in a range of ministries, from a nurse’s aide, occupational therapist and infirmary assistant at Villa Maria Notch Cliff, to making veils and providing dining room service at Villa Assumpta and pastoral ministry at Maria Health Care Center. In between those years, Sister Natividad ministered at St. Boniface, a Spanish apostolate in Philadelphia, and at Most Holy Name of Jesus High School in Caguas, not far from Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, where she was born.
The ministry Sister Natividad found most fulfilling was her first mission as a girl’s prefect at St. Vincent’s Orphanage in Tacony, Pennsylvania, where for 11 years she cared for children. Fifty-two years later, some of the children she tended to are still in touch through letters and Christmas cards. “Denkie,” as she likes to be called, regularly visits Sister Natividad from Philadelphia and even attended her Jubilee celebration.
Sister Felipe Lopez was also born in Barranquitas, but it wasn’t until she and Sister Natividad were novices together in Baltimore that their friendship began to grow. Sister Felipe has ministered at Villa Assumpta for nearly 50 years, as what was once referred to as a “house sister.” From 1955 – 2002, Sister Felipe served in the kitchen at Villa Assumpta, working alongside Sister Emeria from Germany, who created the menus and recipes Sister Felipe used. Among other duties, Sister Felipe, 90, now helps prepare the sacristy.
Sister Felipe emanates a warmth and joyful love of her vocation and her community. When asked if she enjoyed cooking she said, “No, I don’t like to cook. But I didn’t mind to do it. Each day was a new day.” She has a great love for children and spends time each summer in Barranquitas with her 24 grand nieces and nephews and even more great-grand nieces and nephews. Expressing her gratitude for the many graces in her life, Sister Felipe said, “I say to God, you give me everything in this world. I have nothing left for heaven.”
