Like in mathematics, there is only one right answer in religious life… Say, ‘yes’ to God

Sister Claudia Ongpin, OP
 

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In her teens Sister Claudia Ongpin, OP vowed she would never become a religious and, most definitely never a Dominican sister. As her life unfolded, however, she realized God had other plans. 

She was a liberation baby born just after World War II, she was the eldest of four and she was the only girl. Born in Manila, Philippines on June 9, 1945 to Gilberto and Claudia Ongpin, she attended Catholic schools from first grade through high school and her parents saw to it that she attended Mass daily. At the age of 15 she attended Colegio de Jesús-María, now called the Dominican College.

Her father, a gentle caring man, wanted all his children to be educated. He often said, “I don’t have millions to leave you, but that certificate will get you what you need in life.” As a result, Claudia and her brothers all graduated from college.

When she was attending college, Claudia discovered her first love—mathematics. Her professors tried to steer her toward a career teaching English, but her heart and mind was made up, and she received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education. “I love math, because there is only one correct answer—and that’s it,” she said.

She graduated college at the age of 19 and was invited to teach as a layperson at the high school she had attended. She taught math and religion and began taking classes to get her master’s degree. She, however, ended up defending her thesis and completing her master’s in the convent.

As she looks back now, the idea of becoming a religious had first occurred to her during the third year of high school, but changed when a teacher had touched a nerve, dissuading her from wanting to become a sister. 

“The teacher was speaking about the different stages of life, married life, religious life and single blessedness,” Sister Claudia recalls. “The teacher said, ‘I know most of you will be getting married, but I’m sure the Lord will be calling one of you. I wonder which one of you will be called by the Lord?’ In unison, all the students said, ‘Claudia,’ but my teacher said, ‘oh Claudia no, she can’t be’.” 

It was enough to make her feel unworthy and rebellious at the same time. “I thought to myself, ‘who says I even want to be’,” Sister Claudia said.

During her third year of teaching, the superior of the Religious Missionaries of St. Dominic often sent one of the teaching sisters to ask her when she was going to join them and she would say, “look sister, I don’t want to be a religious and if ever I mistake becoming one… I think I don’t want to become a Dominican.” 

One day, two of her friends announced that they were joining the convent. “I was very upset with them. They were close and I wouldn’t talk to them for a short while,” she said. “They were good friends.”

Her heart softened at a faculty retreat organized by the sisters in the school. “I must have been touched by the Lord, because I decided to talk to a priest at the retreat. I was feeling the desire to become a sister, but I didn’t know if I could be one.”

For a reason she cannot herself pinpoint today, she decided to join the Religious Missionaries of St. Dominic. Her friends did not.

A mathematician at heart, Sister Claudia knew she had made the right decision, because her life began to fall into place. Like math, her decision had only one correct answer, and that answer was “yes”. She entered in 1969 and made her first profession on Jan. 1, 1972. This year, Sister Claudia is celebrating 45 years as a Religious Missionary of St. Dominic-Spanish Province.

Sister Claudia was 40-years-old when she was assigned to the United States in June 1985. Being well educated, she had no problem getting a visa and her first assignment was at St. John Newman Parish in Laredo, then in the Diocese of Corpus Christi. She was Director of Religious Education and taught classes to adults for the Pastoral Institute. 

In July 1987, she was assigned as northern area coordinator in charge of the Directors of Religious Education for all the parishes in the northern region of the diocese. They met regularly in Beeville, Tivoli and Sinton.

She went to Oxnard, California in 1988 in the Diocese of Los Angeles and was DRE and Youth Minister. 

“I loved it! I have always been blessed with a great staff and never had any problems adjusting. When I get to a place–I’d think, I am home. That’s a gift God has given me,” Sister Claudia said. “I’m a team worker. I would assign coordinators and I trusted them. I was successful, because they were good.”

In 1991, she became principal at St. Joseph in Beeville, which closed down some years later. She served as principal four years and was blessed with a good group of parents from the Parent, Teacher Organization and the school board. 

“I always was well supported by the diocese,” she said.

In 1995, she was sent to Rome to serve as Council Superior for her congregation, to plan ongoing formation and to make sure the life of the congregation was as it should be. She stayed until 2001. They were difficult years for her. She had more time to pray and exercise, but she missed working with people in parishes and schools. 

Upon her return to the United States in 2001, she spent three months in California and then came back to the Diocese of Corpus Christi to live in the convent at St. Joseph in Alice and teach at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Alice. She was again Director of Religious Education and taught religion for 10 years.

She was reassigned back to teach in Oxnard and Santa Paula, California in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, but returned to the Diocese of Corpus Christi in 2016 to become a Delegation Superior for Texas and California.