BUBUT NERI REMEMBERS
Bubut was a eulogist in the Mass for Sr. RegiVic. This is her eulogy.
I met Sr. Regivic when I attended the formation sessions in preparation for the canonization of St. Marie Eugenie. Her sessions were made alive by her stories about St. Marie Eugenie. St. Regivic was a fantastic storyteller and I would attend her talks that one time she noticed it and called me out “Bubut, aren’t you tired of listening to this? You have heard this already!” But I couldn’t get enough of it. Sr. Regivic made St. Marie Eugenie, her life and her spirituality so interesting, I was drawn to it.
Two years after, after I lost my husband, and Chinit Rufino asked me if I could take her place as Co-Executive Director of the Marie Eugenie Institute. This meant that I would be working with Sr. Regivic. I had no idea then that Sr. Regivic had quite a notorious reputation for being quite intimidating. Maybe Sr. Regivic took pity on a lowly widow because we were able to work in sync for 13 years!
Sr. Regivic did not speak much but her actions spoke louder. My heart is heavy with grief because she is no longer physically with us, but her voice and her life will be ever in my heart, guiding me, teaching me, challenging me to keep going. Through the 13 years, I learned so many life lessons which I would like to share with you. These make her alive in my life:
Be simple. St. Marie Eugenie said that to be simple is to be humble.
Say what you mean and mean what you say. Sr. Regivic never had any hidden agenda.
Recognize your gifts and be generous in sharing them. Admit your weaknesses and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Sr. Regivic would see through your sincerity and was always understanding an patient if you really wanted to learn.
Be childlike – be curious about life and be free to enjoy yourself without worrying about what people will say. Sr. Regivic would giggle with glee whenever she would indulge in her guilty pleasures whether it was coffee jelly, or dilly bar, or an orange popsicle.
Play – No one is too old to play. No one loved playing games like Sr. Regivic. She was competitive and played to win!
Be a lifelong learner. She debunked the adage “you can’t teach old dogs new tricks”. When she needed to use excel, she asked one of the computer teachers to give her and a few of us a tutorial on how to use excel. When the pandemic hit, she mastered online shopping and became a “suki” of Lazada!
Adapt. During the pandemic, she designed videos that helped the schools to discern their school thrust for the year. MEI’s sessions went online as well as other programs, recollections, etc.
Sr. Regivic expressed her love in her thoughtfulness. She knows you more than you think. She would help me find the materials I needed to make my work easier. When the junior sisters were going on a trip with budget tickets, she bought each one of them a backpack in their favorite color. She would reserve the choicest food or dessert for me because she knew I loved them.
As a grieving widow, Sr. Regivic accompanied me through my darkest moments. She helped me navigate my new life as a widow and as her partner in the mission.
Sr. Regivic loved the mission, giving it all her strength and passion. Through her, the life, philosophy and spirituality of our beloved foundress became alive and relatable through the modules for teachers, the retreats and formation programs for us lay,
If I were to choose an image of who Sr. Regivic is to me, it would be the image of the Good Shepherd. Because like Jesus, she shepherded me with such love and care, directing but not manipulating, watching over and there was never a moment when I felt that her gaze was away from me. Even now, I know she is still watching over me as I move one to a new mission in the church. Sr. Regivic, I love you, I miss you, but I know that you are more present to me than ever before. Now your soul is free to soar as an eagle, flying to the Father in total abandon.