The sad news of the passing of Maryknoll College ‘s (now Miriam) beloved Sister Miriam Thortorn was e-mailed by a schoolmate from Singapore Yolanda "Nini" Mitchell, and although a bit late, we are reprinting it here for our fellow Maryknollers.

Sister Miriam Thomas Thornton passed away at the age of 91 last May 7 in New York. I received several text messages inviting to a memorial mass for her at the Mt. Carmel Church several days later, and I am told many showed up to pay tribute to her...

Corrina Benipayo Mojica, high school class ‘67, wrote; "Let’s form a circle of prayer while rekindling the many happy memories we shared at Maryknoll Pennsylvania (now Leon Guinto) and then at Loyola Heights with our beloved Sister Miriam Thomas Thornton.

To many of us who personally knew her, was taught and guided by her, she was the essence and spirit of Maryknoll. And through the years she was larger than the institution she helped build. With a clear vision of a Dominican nun of the Order of Preachers and charged with the missionary zeal of her namesake, she stirred a small academy with an elementary system onto a secondary level and finally a tertiary status. Sister Miriam was a woman of faith, a dedicated educator, and a second mother to many of us.

May the Lord, in whose hands she now rests, bless those she left behind at the Mother house.

Thank you, Sister Miriam, we have all been enriched by your presence in our lives. Truly, you have taught us the meaning of the Chi-Rho — Christ for the world and the world for Christ."

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Sister Miriam was a " mother" to all of us. In those days, our classes were small in numbers and we knew each other well, including the nuns in their black and white habits. (Or were they off-white?) She was strict but not overly so, and very approachable and she seemed to us "ageless."

I came in to Maryknoll on my fourth grade from PWU and this was the time the school was housed in a two-story building on Pennyslvania Street in Paco. (See, I told you politicians should not change our street names! Imagine studying in Pennsylvania and living in Kansas or Colorado?)

We grew and grew and by the time we reached high school, Sister Miriam and her nuns boldly built a modest campus right beside Ateneo de Manila in Loyola Heights. We took the red JD buses to Loyola Heights daily in what was long but pleasant traffic-less drive.

I finished my high school there and also my Associate in Arts ( a two-year course then) and all this time, Sister Miriam was there, guiding the school to wider horizons.

Yes, I agree with Corrina. Sister Miriam was the "essence" of Maryknoll and even now, I try to live by the Maryknoll Chi Rho principle — "Christ for the World and the World for Christ" in whatever I have become — wife, mother, writer, government worker, spokesperson for President Cory, television host, and in all my advocacies.

Just the other week, my batchmates from high school class ‘56 held a reunion at the D n’ D tea Bar, at the second level of the upgraded V-mall in Greenhills to plan our golden jubilee presentation in September.

Amid the steaming dimsums, taro puffs and crispy shrimp dumplings we managed to discuss what we could do for the jubilee presentation.

Those who came were the "regulars" like Dr. Chona Abella Relloza, leading pediatric cardiologist, Beth Javier Africa, housewife and bakery shop owner, Alice Canlas Avancena, recently retired from NEDA, Soledad Lacson Pena, one of Avon’s most successful dealers with her own training center, Linda de lara Quintos, training specialist, Ching Aguilar Roman and Gloria banatikla Ramos, housewives.

We missed fashion designers Criselda Lontoc Fernandez and Malu Antonio Veloso but I guess they had busy schedules.

Last week, Consuelo "Nini" Gaston Maisto came to town and left a few days later to go home to Bacolod where she had a reunion with the big Gaston clan including her first cousin and also our classmate in Maryknoll, Anne Marie.

She and Malu Antonio Veloso were able to have brunch together at the old Antonio home in Pasay. We all looked up to Nini in high school because she was smart, pretty and we thought, so "cool" and sophisticated. But she was always so friendly to all of us gangly ordinary mortals. Nini now lives in Washington with her husband John who is retired from the US State Department.

John used to head the Philippine desk at the State Department and played a very important role in our struggle for freedom especially in the last years of the Marcos regime.

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So, I am calling all our batchmates here and abroad! We need you to come to our pre-jubilee reunions and the grand homecoming in September as well. We also need your generous contributions toward a fund for our alma mater’s social programs. Please get in touch with any one of us through e-mail. (My e–mail is dees_day @yahoo.com)

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Notes… The Plaza of Millie Reyes has announced that their premium Christmas ham is now available the whole year round at the SM Mall of Asia’s Entertainment Center. For orders call 729–0003.

Today we will have former tourism secretary Mina Gabor, now foremost exponent of small and medium-sized enterprises and consultant for development in many key areas here and abroad at the Bulong Pulungan forum at the Hotel Philippine Plaza. This is at noon.

And yes, today is the sixth of the sixth month in the year 2006 and we are all still here by the grace of God!