Sr. Philomena Agudo, fmm

Sr. Philomena Agudo entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary on June 13,1949 at Legarda, Manila, Philippines.  She made her novitiate at Tagaytay, Philippines.  After her first vows, March 19, 1952, she taught at Our Lady of Loretto Academy in Legarda, Manila. She also did catechetical work in the public schools and found time every Saturday to minister to the prisoners at the National Penitentiary. She pronounced her final vows on March 19, 1955 in Tagaytay. She was appointed principal of Our Lady of Loretto Academy, Manila in 1955. Seven years later Sr. Philomena was sent to Cebu City to establish Stella Maris School, which included kindergarten to Secondary classes. In 1964 she was missioned to Djakarta, Indonesia where she was assigned as principal of Regina Pacis International School (a secondary school for children of diplomats). In 1967 she was appointed Juniorate Mistress in Bogor, Indonesia. Two years later she became a part-time counselor at Churches’ Counseling Center in Singapore. Sr. Philomena  became directress of Hai Sing Dewasa Commercial School for girls in 1970.

Sr. Philomena was sent in mission to the United States to study at Boston University. She graduated in 1975 with a Doctorate degree in Philosophy in Pastoral Psychology and Counseling (PhD).

Her present ministries are counseling, retreat direction, spiritual direction and conducting Scripture classes.

From 1976 to 1980, Sr. Philomena served as a Psychotherapist at the House of Affirmation, a center for emotionally disturbed clergy and religious. She was then invited by the Sisters of St. Francis in Sylvania, Ohio to serve as the director of their Renewal Program.

In 1982 she was sent in mission to the Philippines to become the director of a Renewal Program for the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. She also directed a Renewal Program in Hong Kong and Macao for a year.

Back in the United States in 1984, as a member of St. John the Baptist Community, she worked as Psychotherapist, Counselor, Retreat Director, and director of workshops and seminars. In 1985 she was asked to be Psychotherapist/Counselor at the Diocesan Consultation Center in Toledo, Ohio. A year later she became Administrative Coordinator at La Salette Pastoral Shrine Counseling Services. Sr. Philomena established the Marian Center in 1992 at St. John the Baptist Convent and served as Counselor, director of individual retreats and director of pastoral/psychological workshops and seminars. From July 1994 to December 1997, she was appointed coordinator at Our Lady of Peace Community in North Providence.

Sr. Philomena was then temporarily assigned to Oakland, California where she led scripture classes for the parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes Church there. She returned to Pawtucket on March 18, 1998 and resumed her counseling ministry at St. John’s Convent. Through the Marian Center she directed retreats for out of state religious and was the spiritual director for two English and two Spanish praesidia of the Legion of Mary. She conducted two scripture classes for adults and two groups of the Cenacle for the Marian Movement. In her words, “I am determined to do God’s holy will until the end.”