“I have called you by your name, you are mine.” - Isaiah 43:1
S. Maria Rosita “Rose” Banguis, RVM—dedicated missionary, educator, and woman of deep prayer—peacefully returned to the embrace of the Lord in the early morning of January 23, 2026. She was 73 years old. Her life stands as a luminous testament to a heart firmly rooted in Christ and a spirit that knew no borders.
Early Life and Radical Faith
Born on January 11, 1953, in Cawag, Samal, Davao del Norte, S. Rose was the third of six children of Hermilo and Trinidad Banguis. Raised in an Aglipayan household, her journey with Christ began with a remarkable act of quiet courage. At only eight years old, following the dictate of her heart, she sought baptism in the Catholic Church. This early and resolute faith later became a bridge of grace for her entire family, eventually leading them all to the Catholic faith.
A Vocation of Courage
S. Rose earned a degree in Education from St. Michael’s College in Iligan City and began her professional life teaching at Holy Family Academy in Davao Oriental. Despite initial family opposition, she courageously followed God’s call to religious life, entering the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM) in 1978. She professed her First Vows on August 15, 1981, and her Perpetual Vows on March 25, 1987. In 2006, she joyfully celebrated her Silver Jubilee -twenty-five years of what she lovingly described as the Lord’s “lavish love.”
Missionary Heart Without Borders
The crowning gift of S. Rose’s religious life was her twenty-two and a half years of missionary service in Ghana, West Africa, and Papua New Guinea. Adventurous by nature and gifted with a cheerful heart, she embraced the challenges of mission life, even amid civil unrest and personal danger. She often shared that in the mission fields, “God is so alive and present.”
When health challenges eventually led her back to the Philippines in 2016, her missionary heart remained steadfast. Her love for the poor, the lepers, and the marginalized never waned. She continued to see herself as a “messenger of the Good News,” willingly setting aside personal dreams so that Christ would always remain at the center of her life.
The Grace of Surrender: A Letter from God
In her later years at St. Joseph Home, S. Rose embraced what she called the “trial of the body” with remarkable serenity. As she became wheelchair-bound and dependent on dialysis, she transformed active ministry into a profound Ministry of Prayer, offering her sufferings for the Church.
She wrote deeply about the “burden of love,” drawing strength from the RVM charism: “His yoke is love and His burden is a burden of love. That same love helps me discover the will of God, and I conform to it fully without reservation.”
Inspired by the fiat of Our Lady and the spirit of Mother Ignacia, she turned physical frailty into intentional self-giving. Her journey led her from moments of human desperation to a place of deep spiritual contentment. This surrender found its clearest expression in a 2017 reflection she titled “A Letter from God to Me,” which became her spiritual compass:
“Dear S. Rosita,
You are the little Rose of my heart, and I carry you every day. I shelter you with my unconditional love; I love you lavishly. Do you believe that I know you through and through?
Be consoled and comforted, my dear, because I have not left you for even a single minute of your life. You have experienced being sick and weak, but this is only a testing of your faith in Me. No matter what happens, I am always with you. I care for you, and you are always loved.
You were chosen to be with Me, to live My values and My way of life. You are a precious jewel, and I will never give up on you. I assure you: you will never be separated from Me.”
Legacy of Gratitude
S. Rose leaves behind a legacy marked by bold initiative, creative expression, and deep gratitude. In her final journals, she composed what she called a “hymn of gratitude” to the Congregation, thanking her RVM Sisters for their tireless care and generous guidance, which enabled her to live her vocation to the fullest.
S. Rose is now reunited in eternal life with her parents, Hermilo and Trinidad, and her dear siblings who preceded her in death. She is survived and lovingly remembered by her sole surviving brother, Rudy, as well as by her beloved RVM family. S. Rose will be honored as she lived: a prayerful woman of unwavering conviction, who truly lived the belief that she was called by name and belonged forever to God.
A Final Farewell
Farewell, dear S. Rose. Your journey carried you from the shores of Mindanao to the missions of Africa and the Pacific, and finally to the quiet sanctuary of prayer. You have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, and you have kept the faith.
Go now to the garden of the Lord, where there is no more pain or weakness - only the lavish love you so faithfully proclaimed. Rest in the peace of the One who called you by name. You are, and forever shall be, His. Wait for us in the light.