Before joining the Sisters of Providence, Sr. Lucy Vasquez was an active member of the Emmanuel Charismatic Community near National Steel Corporation where she worked for 20 years and spent many of her time after office hours with the community.
During that time, she has an officemate who wanted to enter religious life. Sr. Lucy introduced Sisters of Providence to her. Sr. Lucy and her immediate boss agreed to avail early retirement package (two months salary for every year of service) and her lady boss assured her of an employment at the company she’s about to transfer. Prior to her new employment, she took a break. While in transition, her friend asked her to accompany her at the Sisters of Providence.
After that short visit, a quick paradigm shift took place. Needs of her family was taken care of by her retirement pay, she did not join her boss instead, entered at the Sisters of Providence and her friend did not pushed through.
Sr. Lucy is the second child in a family of six children – three girls and three boys. Her father, Eugenio Yo’eco Vasquez was a driver and her mother, Lourdes Mamales Vasquez, was a retired public school elementary teacher. Both are now deceased.
After finishing two years of secretarial education, she earned four years Bachelor in Applied Economics in the evening and working during the day. While in initial formation, she studied theology at the Maryhill School of Theology, Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Luke’s Medical Center and short course on Community Organizing with the Asian Social Institute in Manila.
The Sisters of Providence have a long history in the Philippines and a close association with the Vincentian Family. Sr. Lucy’s current ministry is with the Vincentian Missionaries Social Development Foundation as Program Coordinator where she coordinates and performs home visits for families in Montalban, Payatas and Bagong Silangan communities.
“I spend time with the families and end our visit by praying the Divine Providence Rosary,” she explains. Any concerns that pop-up during our time together will then be addressed to our professional collaborators. Services include formation for women leaders, counseling, therapy, medical and livelihood assistance, scholarships and more.
“Though the families are being served by the Church, there are still some who because of extreme poverty, must focus on earning a living. Thus, they cannot afford to go for Sunday Mass. Some even encouraged me to continue coming back so they can pray together as a family and be blessed.”
Recently, she and her Vincentian team made a three years ministry plan so they could build wholistic community.
Prior to ministering with the Vincentians, Sr. Lucy worked in the Ministry for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People for the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan for the families left behind of our Overseas Filipino Workers.
“I love being in Pastoral Ministry where I can pray and play with the community. Right now, I am alone in the Philippines but not in solitary. Aside from my ministry team, I connect with our Providence Associates, Inter-Religious congregations and their mission partners – Filipino context of synodality.”
That’s a lot going on for the sole Sister of Providence remaining in the Philippines, but Sr. Lucy seems unphased:
“God is so good that everything is feasible as assured to us in Matthew Chapter 6’ ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given you besides.’ “
“I entrust to Good my health and daily safety since the threat of the pandemic is still in the air. As I continue my journey, may I joyfully see Him with the people I mingle with and may those I encounter each day will see Him in me. Thus, to grow old gracefully,” she says.
“Without God, I am nothing.”