There is place in Macau for everyone in the world: Sister Maria Lúcia Fonseca

Marco Carvalho

The purpose of Missio ad Gentes brought you to Macau almost a decade ago. Now that you are returning to Portugal, would you say that the Catholic faith has room to grow in the Special Administrative Region?

Sister Maria Lúcia Fonseca: I would say there’s plenty of room to grow. I realized that, in fact – and these days, more than ever – there is a lot of room for growth. (….) During these years I have felt this desire to serve more and more and the only thing I regret is that I didn’t come here when I was younger.  If I had come to Macau at a younger age, I would have probably done more or, at least, differently. Nevertheless, God destined me to come to Macau at an advanced age, and I served as long as he asked me to. What I came to realize about Macau is that there is place here for everyone in the world (….) There is great respect between religions, between different cultures. People respect each other a lot. There is total freedom in religious terms. It is a grace of God that we can walk in our own skin and cross the street wearing our religious habit (….) This is the sort of thing that conveys a sign of the presence of God amongst the local flock. Macau, I believe, is a privileged place where God can be heard, his message can be imparted through his missionaries with enthusiasm, with commitment, with faith. My only regret is that there are currently no vocations here (….)

Personally, did these nine years allow you to grow in terms of faith?

SMLF: I’ll tell you one thing: I learned a lot from my brothers here in Macau, even from those who didn’t attend Mass every Sunday. I learned with them about the human part, but also about social interaction. I learned a lot through them and because of them: I learned to discover that God works in each and every one of them, in a way that, perhaps, I still don’t fully understand. That, for me, is a reason for greater admiration. I didn’t lose my faith.  On the contrary, I feel that my faith increased.

You told me, on the sidelines of this interview, that you cried when you were asked to come to Macau. Nine years on, are you grateful for the  experience?

SMLF: I cried because I never imagined that Macau would be so far away. (….) To come to China was something that has never occurred to me. Honestly, if you ask me if this experience was always positive or if it was always good, the answer would have to be no.  I went through very hard times.  Walking was always a problem for me. I have quite a lot of foot problems and the pavement was not always benevolent. Walking among those rocks, going up and down the slope that leads to the cathedral, these experiences were very painful to me. If I had come at a younger age, things would have been different. Nevertheless, all this was useful because it allowed for me to sanctify myself. It helped me to get closer to God. There were hard times, but through hard times beauty emerged. And beauty, as I see it, is a certain reward for what God allowed me to do with this people, here in Macau. And what a formidable reward it is! God allowed me to write songs about Sacred Scripture and use them to tell children about his plans. I did not follow the catechism. I always drew on the Sacred Scriptures and the liturgical times: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter (…) I even wrote quite a few songs and had the children sing them and act them out.

Is this proactive approach essential, at a time when the Catholic Church is grappling with serious problems, such as the lack of vocations and the increasing number of people that are turning their backs on religion?

SMLF: As I said before, the involvement of the human person is very important, and it’s increasingly necessary to be able to talk to their hearts. Each person is worthy on his or her own, and, as missionaries, we must be able to realize how worthy the others are, what they have to offer. Quite often, a simple greeting is enough for God to make us understand that the other needs something or that there is something he would like to know. We shouldn’t waste these moments. All my life, I tried to follow a motto that I learned many years ago: “All the events in our life, no matter how small, are letters that we receive from God”(….) Faith is needed to interpret them. To know how to read and interpret them, we need to have faith.

What is next for the presence of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Macau, now that you have bid farewell to the Special Administrative Region?

SMLF: The Catholic Diocese of Macau is waiting for new sisters to come. Our mother general made it known that she was very committed to having sisters come. But now, due to this pandemic, the plan is on hold. When we left Macau, we had to empty the house where we have lived all these years. If it remains closed with no one inside, things will probably get moldy. We left a few things inside boxes, so that, when the new sisters come – if they come – they can have, at least, some of the resources they will need. If they don’t come, then, it won’t be difficult to move things somewhere else.  The diocese was extraordinary. They told us that if no more missionaries have the opportunity to come to Macau, they would send us the materials we left. If they come, I am quite sure, they will certainly be welcomed with great joy. As for my mission in Portugal, I think that I will still be able to work with young people and families to the best of my abilities. I have always worked as an educator. Always. I have had the opportunity to work with thousands of people.

You left Macau due to medical reasons. The next few months will, obviously, be a little bit about yourself…

SMLF: About myself and about God. The time has come for me to prepare, if he allows me to, to prepare even more deeply to meet him. I think quite often about death. I am not quite sure if I’m afraid of death. I am, nevertheless, afraid of dying in mortal sin. I don’t want to die in mortal sin, so I am always repeating to myself

“O Holy and Immaculate Virgin Mary, offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of thy Divine Son for the intention that one mortal sin may be prevented this day.”

We ask the same when we say the Hail Mary: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.” So, I find it impossible for Our Lady not to be watching over us at the time of our death. It´s impossible. Whoever prays the Hail Mary with this love, with the affection that the Virgin Mary deserves, will have her by his side. There’s another prayer that I am always reciting, the blessing of Saint Francis of Assisi to Brother Leo: “The Lord bless you and keep you. May He show His face to you and have mercy. May He turn His countenance to you and give you peace. The Lord bless you.” I say this prayer many times, but for myself. May the Lord bless me and keep me. Everyone has his or her own way of contacting God, right? And I feel fine with mine.