Meet a Missionary - SISTER Rose MARIE Martell, MSBT
Hi, I'm Sr. Rose Marie Martell and I am missioned in Montgomery Alabama.
In the Old Testament the Lord asks special protection for widow, children and aliens/foreigners. I am very blessed to work with aliens or immigrants from every corner of our world. No one feels more alone that those who migrate to another country away from your family, customs, friends and most often even your language. I fill out petitions for their relatives to immigrate to the States or perhaps help with citizenship papers. They always have many questions on the complex immigration process and are so grateful for the help I can provide.
Others came without documents. They live in an underworld where they cannot drive or work legally and they are very fearful of being deported and being separated from their family here. They often come in the hope that I can see if there is a way they can become legal, unhappily many will have no option but to wait for a new immigration bill out of Washington. It gives me great happiness when I can help bring families together or help resolve whatever situation brings them to Catholic Social Service where I work. I feel immigration assistance with the undocumented is such a part of our charism to work with the poor and abandoned.
I also work with victims of human trafficking. I am so glad to be able to help them get established in a safe environment and reestablish their personal lives after such inhumane situations.
My faith is strengthened by the faith and hope of those I serve. They most often live as our Founder Father Judge would say, "in the Providence of their daily lives"; I am blessed by their deep faith, hard work and love of family. They often have to struggle in ways we North Americans take for granted but their hope for their children's future, makes it all worthwhile.
Our Mater Dei Cenacle consists of four MSBTs. I would say we all have a deep sense of commitment to our missions, our Cenacle and a good sense of humor which is invaluable in community life. Sr. Mary Agnes also works for Catholic Social Services working with the fragile elderly providing assistance and companionship in their own homes. Sr. Terry works with the Office of Religious Education assisting parishes with adult and children's programs and sacramental education and Sr. Janet who is still in temporary vows and is from Mexico, works with Catholic Hispanic Ministry offering spiritual and other assistance to the Latino community.
In spite of our different schedules we get together for morning and evening prayer and enjoy faith sharing. Our community life is strengthened by having dinner together most evenings and by meeting every Monday evening to take council together and/or have some fun. We are always ready to be a resource to each other and to find a good reason to celebrate together. Janet and I are encouraged by Terry and Mary Agnes's attempt to learn more Spanish and we try to keep our prayer bilingual and I am sure we make God smile a lot in our efforts.
I am what you would call a late vocation as I was in my forties when I entered. The desire has been there since childhood and I learned that when God offers a gift he never takes it back, even if we get sidetracked. I was first impressed by the strong Missionary Cenacle Family in my native Puerto Rico among the priests, sisters and lay people. It is a beautiful thing to behold all proclaiming the same charism as taught to us by Father Judge and Mother Boniface. Ithink I was especially taken by the Missionary Spirit, the devotion to the Holy Trinity and the trust of living in the Providence of God. In Montgomery, AL the MCA meets at our Cenacle every month and we have several members of the BTMI in our area. It's a great feeling to belong to a Spiritual Family.