A chance encounter

By Sr. Christine Gebel, O.L.M.
May/June 2008

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Sr. Lorie Nuñez (centre) with Our Lady’s Missionaries Associates, all of whom participate in various OLM activities. (L-R) Gemma Labitan, visiting from Canada, Nimfa Codilan, Ella Cabiasa, and Joy Tumamac. Mindanao, Philippines.

Early for an appointment and wanting to pass some time, Sr. Lorie Nuñez and I ducked into a little shop. The sales clerk spotted our OLM pendants and asked if we were religious Sisters. Our “Yes” began a conversation that continued over the years, as Ella Cabiasa became an Our Lady's Missionaries (OLM) Associate. Ella shared that it was her dream also to be a missionary. As an OLM Associate, she explored what that could mean in her own life.

Ella had suffered from severe asthma since childhood. This put limits on the things she could do and the places she could go. But she realized that being a missionary was more about who you are than what you do or where you go, and she missioned herself to her neighbours in her small apartment building. She made a point of knowing her neighbours, spending time with them and helping them in little ways.

Ella died without warning on December 17, 2007. Despite her young age of 48 years and her physical limitations, she made her little corner of the world a better place. I pray that Our Lady’s Missionaries made a difference in her life. I know that she made a difference in ours, all because of a chance encounter.

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