QUEZON City, April 16, 2013—Sr. Virginia “Virgie” Arocha, MSM, one of the founders of Rural Missionaries of the Philippines – Northern Mindanao Region (RMP – NMR) and the organizer of the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR)-Lanao chapter, died of cardiac arrest, believed to be due to her lingering illness and diabetes. She was 63.
“Sr. Virgie devoted a life of active love and concern for the poor of Mindanao. Wherever she was assigned, she went beyond the confines of convent life, of congregation, of denomination, and of faith, to embrace her fellow Christians, Muslims and Lumads as well as persons and communities of conviction,” a statement of InPeace Mindanao, posted on RMP-NMR’s Facebook page read.
“We enjoyed her company in ecumenical and interfaith gatherings. Her presence and wisdom as a nun of courage inspired younger people to be stirred by the Spirit and showed that people her age should never go into the twilight of service to the downtrodden and weak,” it furthered.
Aside from PCPR and RMP, Sr. Arocha is also one of the members of the Sisters’ Association in Mindanao (Samin), an alliance of religious nuns in the area. (Noel Barcelona/CBCPNews)
