On November 21, 1983, four Good Shepherd sisters drowned in shark-infested waters off Northeastern Mindanao, the Philippines, when the boat they were traveling on capsized after being struck by a large wave. Of the over 400 passengers on board, only 184 survived. Many of them spoke of how they witnessed the sisters distribute life vests, helping children secure them, and instructing the passengers towards the life rafts, urging them to abandon the sinking ship – all the time whilst in prayer. They were last seen holding small children in their arms as they made the ultimate offering of their lives to save and comfort others. On the 42nd anniversary of the fateful event, Sr. Rosemary Bacaltos recalls the day she received the news.
"When Sr. Mary Natividad and the provincial council on which I served received the shocking news of the four sisters travelling on the MV Dona Cassandra, we did not want to believe it, and we desperately hoped that they were not among those who perished, but the search and rescue operations did not find our sisters among the survivors.
The four sisters had booked to travel by boat to Cebu City to attend a retreat at our convent in Banawa. Scheduled to depart on the evening of November 20, it was prevented from sailing due to a raging storm. Wary of the danger of sea travel, some of the sisters and priests among them advised them to travel by plane, but the sisters refused to leave the laity, who were also booked to travel on the ship, including farmers, laborers, and families.
Sisters Mary Consuelo Chuidian, Mary Concepcion Conti, and Mary Catherine Loreto were members of the Reach Out Community in Davao City, which had only four members in the community. The remaining Sr. Mary Josephine Bacaltos, who only later learned about the sinking of the Cassandra and the four sisters, had an ominous sign.
Their friend and benefactor, Edith Yap, regularly brought red roses to the community on November 21 for the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lady. That particular day, she unsuccessfully searched the flower shops and the markets for red roses, but finding none, she bought white roses and brought these to Reach Out. When Edith explained this to Sr. Mary Josephine, she saw it as an omen and felt apprehensive and anxious about the four sisters. Later, upon receiving the news, she was disconsolate, saying she was due to travel with the sister to Cebu City, but she gave up her space for Sr. Mary Catherine, who so dearly wanted to attend the retreat.
Sr. Mary Consuelo and Sr. Mary Conception were heavily involved in the Task Force Detainees of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines in Davao. This was both risky and dangerous work during the Martial Law years of the Marcos dictatorship, during which the military cracked down on those involved, including priests and sisters. Reach Out was one of the safe houses for those underground and was already on the military’s ‘watch list’.
Sr. Mary Virginia Gonzaga was in her first year as leader of the community in Sapad, Lanao del Norte – a town with a Muslim mayor and a mixed population of Christians and Muslims. The Sapad Foundation, established in 1982 as a rural mission for sisters in temporary formation, began with four sisters who faced constant danger amid armed conflict, including frequent strafing of the town and a suspected attempt to kidnap Sr. Mary Rosalinda Maglana, a doctor. Living in a fragile bamboo-and-nipa convent, they often slept on the cement floor during attacks and relied on neighbors who warned them of threats, guarded the area at night, and even hung the church bell inside the convent for protection. Although Bishop Fernando Capalla offered them the option to leave due to the danger, the sisters chose to stay, including Sr. Mary Virginia Gonzaga who fatefully passed away with the sinking of the ship.''
Days following the event, on November 25, 1983, Jesuit Priest Father Eduardo Hontiveros composed music and lyrics in honour of the Cassandra Martyrs (listen below).
Sixteen years after the dreadful tragedy, the four sisters were honored by the Bantayog ng Mga Bayani Foundation on December 7, 1999, as martyrs and heroes for their heroism and dedication to justice. Their names are inscribed on the Wall of Remembrance, with the following words:
"For contributing to the protest movement against the Marcos dictatorship and human rights abuses, as street parliamentarians and religious superiors heading and implementing education, health, rehabilitation, and justice programs, both through legal and extra-legal matters.
For leaving the safety and comfort of their home and convent to work as rural missionaries among poor farmers, indigenous peoples, and Muslims in remote areas of Mindanao, thus becoming active witnesses to the Church’s mission to serve the poor, deprived, and oppressed at the height of state repression of the Church.''
Their legacy remains a powerful reminder of what it means to serve with love until the very end.
Learn more about the Good Shepherd Mission in the Philippines here: www.goodshepherdsisters.info
