During the past year, the Congregation made some significant changes regarding the Mary of Nazareth Region in the Philippines. From its inception, in 1982, the General Administration took the region under its wing. During the years from 1982 until the present, the General Administrations have visited with the Sisters and been caring of their needs and future plans.

Now, twenty-five years later, the number of native vocations has grown, and the number of Sisters from the US has diminished. The present General Administration felt that it was time to make the Mary of Nazareth Region a Province, and to place this new Province into the hands of a Philippine Provincial Administration.

This naming of the Region as a Province took place on December 8, 2007. Sisters Janice Fulmer, Superior General, and Virginette Rypniewski, General Councilor, flew to Manila to announce the good news to the Sisters. This announcement coincided with the culmination of the 25th Anniversary of our Nazareth presence in the Philippines.

It was at this time that the Sisters in the Philippines were consulted as to who among them would best serve as the Provincial Leadership Team for the coming six years in the Province. Following this consultation and consideration from the General Administration, the following Sisters were named to the Mary of Nazareth Province Provincial Administration:

Provincial Superior - Sister Maria Fe Mata
Assistant Provincial - Sister Marianita Ba-ay
Provincial Secretary - Sister Frances Regina Simbajon
Provincial Treasurer - Sister Else Marie Ciriaco
Provincial Councilor - Sister Maria Daria Andamon

We wish these Sisters and all the Sisters of the Mary of Nazareth Province God's blessings, and the protection of their patroness, Mary of Nazareth.