Sister Monica embraces 25 years of ‘being’ with Sisters, God

August 3, 2024 at 12:00 a.m.

Monastery of St. Clare, Chesterfield. Courtesy photo.

    Poor Clare Sister Monica Dy Muncada
  

From the Philippines to Florida to the Monastery of St. Clare in Chesterfield, Poor Clare Sister Monica Dy Muncada has traveled thousands of miles in her 25 years of religious life. But her journey has always kept her close to the Lord.

“Having been guided by God to the path he intends for me, now it’s my turn to show and lead others to theirs by faithfully living out my vocation,” she said.

SIMPLE BEGINNINGS

Born in Laoang, Philippines, as the third of four children, with one sister and two brothers, Sister Monica said she grew up always wanting “to become a religious sister.”

After graduating from an Augustinian high school, Monica asked her parents if she could join the Augustinian community.

“The Sisters would let me finish my studies and obtain a college diploma from their school as part of their postulancy program,” she said.

Her parents, however, did not immediately support her desire, as they believed she was too young to enter religious life.

“Education was their priority, and they wanted me to experience a ‘normal college life,’” Sister Monica explained. “My Dad told me that I could pursue whatever I wanted after college.”

Subsequently, she enrolled in the University of Eastern Philippines, Catarman, Northern Samar, and studied political science. It was during her second year on a trip to visit her aunt’s cousin that she found a new calling.

“It was there that I saw a picture of her cousin’s daughter in a traditional Poor Clare habit, and I felt called to that kind of life,” Sister Monica reflected. “My desire to become an Augustinian Sister faded, and I began to inquire about the Poor Clares. Two years after that experience, I joined the Poor Clare community.”

CONTEMPLATING CHRIST

She entered the community Sept. 8, 1999, at St. Clare Monastery of the Assumption, Calbayog City, Samar, Philippines. On

June 12, 2011, she transferred to the United States, settling at Christ the King Monastery, Delray Beach, Fla., in the Diocese of Palm Beach. Sister Monica came to the Diocese of Trenton Sept. 1, 2022, to the Monastery of St. Clare; in January 2023 she became a U.S. citizen.

A cloistered order, the Poor Clares live their lives devoted to prayer and work within their communities – something quite different from the life Sister Monica had experienced up to that point.

“Upon joining the monastery, I faced many challenges. Fresh from university and the comfort of my home, I saw how different enclosed life is from the life I used to live,” she said. “However, as I live out my calling daily, I have come to understand that religious life is not about me; it’s all about him who has called me and faithfully journeyed with me.

“Every day, we gaze upon him, contemplate him, and desire to imitate him,” Sister Monica continued. “We are called each day to love him wholly, as he gave his life entirely for our sake.”

Perseverance and faithfulness in the Poor Clare life is not about the number of years she has lived in the monastery, she noted.

“It’s about ‘being’ with my sisters every moment, living in obedience, and living in gratitude.”

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