Home for the Elderly and abandoned stands as a beacon of hope and compassion.
In the bustling city of San Pedro, Laguna, just 30 kilometers south of Manila, the Mary Mother of Mercy Home for the Elderly and Abandoned stands as a beacon of hope and compassion.
Run by the dedicated Sisters of St. Francis Xavier (SFX), this nursing home provides a sanctuary for abandoned seniors.
Under the leadership of Sr. Venus Marie S. Pegar, who assumed the role of executive director in 2023, the home cares for 13 elderly women with the help of nuns from Myanmar.
A Haven of Care
Abandoned seniors found a family in a nursing home run by the Sisters of St. Francis Xavier (SFX) in San Pedro, a city in Laguna about 30 kilometers south of Manila.
Sr. Venus Marie S. Pegar is currently executive director at the Mary Mother of Mercy Home for the Elderly and Abandoned in San Pedro.
She assumed the post in 2023.
Pegar takes care of 13 old women today with the help of nuns from Myanmar.
The sisters usually serve the residents of the nursing home bread and coffee for breakfast.
The nuns also cook Myanmar food for the residents, who love and enjoy it.
The Myanmar nationals communicate more in English than in Filipino.
After the meal, the residents watch television in a hut on the side of the two-story nursing home.
Some of them are wheelchair-bound.
The residents are served a meal at noon.
The nuns divide the responsibility of cooking meals among themselves. They also wash the resident's used clothes.
Some residents, especially the physically able, wash the dishes and their own clothes.
The residents recite the divine mercy prayer.
At times, the residents are brought outside.
“I drive them around the city so they can see what is happening outside," Pegar said.
Some of the elderly love the ride, she added.
The sisters have been providing homes to neglected seniors in San Pedro since 2002, Pegar said.
"Mary Mother of Mercy Home for the Elderly and Abandoned offers shelter regardless of religious affiliation," she said.
A Legacy of Love
"Mary Mother of Mercy Home for the Elderly and Abandoned offers shelter regardless of religious affiliation,"
The late Dr. Mercedes Oliver, a Filipino physician and philanthropist, built the nursing home. She also donated the land.
Oliver also built a chapel and a museum in the nursing home compound.
The museum displays testaments to her contributions to the church, as well as special and rare items she collected, such as stuff used by prominent church leaders, including the Pope.
Since 2014, Sister Pegar has been the Philippines' SFX director.
As a vocation director, she uses social media platforms to find aspiring nuns.
"By using social media, we do not need to go places to recruit new nuns," she said.
Pegar has recruited aspirants from different parts of the Philippines.
A Mission of Service
The SFX has four missions: prayer, evangelization, education, and nursing the elderly, Pegar said.
Pegar also paints after finishing his duties, particularly in the evening.
She has participated in a number of art exhibits around the country.
"I usually give my artwork to our benefactors when they like it," Pegar said.
She recently joined an art exhibit in Alabang, a commercial center in Metro Manila.
Her love for painting comes second to her vow. Her congregation, as well as her family, are supportive of her artistic interests.
She started painting when she was eight. Her father was a painter. Her two brothers are also artists.
She hails from Leyte, an island in the Visayas.
Pegar's life was featured by ABS-CBN in its show Maalaala Mo Kaya on August 30, 2014. The episode was titled “Sulat,” with actress Jessy Mendiola portraying her.
The SFX's mother house is located in Myanmar, where it was founded by French Bishop Alexander Cardo in 1897.
The Mary Mother of Mercy Home for the Elderly and Abandoned is more than just a nursing home; it is a testament to the power of compassion and community.
Under the nurturing leadership of Sr. Venus Marie S. Pegar and her dedicated team of nuns, the home has become a true family for its residents, embodying the SFX's missions of prayer, evangelization, education, and care for the elderly.
As the home continues to thrive, it stands as a lasting tribute to the legacy of Dr. Mercedes Oliver and the enduring spirit of service that defines the Sisters of St. Francis Xavier.
