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Filipino 'Healing-Nun' and Magsaysay Laureate Sister Eva Fidela Maamo Dies at 85
MANILA — The Catholic Church in the Philippines is mourning the loss of Sister Eva Fidela Maamo, SPC, a pioneering surgeon and missionary who spent over four decades bringing modern medicine to the country’s most neglected frontiers.
Sister Maamo, a member of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres, passed away on April 15 at the age of 85. Her death was confirmed by Our Lady of Peace Hospital in Manila—the very institution she founded to provide high-quality medical care to the indigent.
A Life of 'Gospel in Action'
Known widely as the "Surgeon-Nun," Sister Maamo gained international acclaim for her radical commitment to the poor. In 1997, she was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership—often referred to as Asia's Nobel Prize.
The Ramon Magsaysay Foundation honored her legacy this week, stating:
"She built her life around a simple, uncompromising belief: health is not a privilege reserved for the few, but a right that must reach everyone."
From Bamboo Clinics to Hospital Halls
Born in 1940 in Southern Leyte, Sister Maamo’s missionary journey began in the rugged highlands of Lake Sebu. There, she served indigenous communities in a makeshift bamboo infirmary.
Stories of her early grit have become legendary within the Filipino Church:
Improvised Surgery: Operating in remote areas using flashlights for illumination.
Resourcefulness: Utilizing coconut water as a substitute for intravenous fluids when supplies ran dry.
Disaster Response: Leading medical teams during the catastrophic 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo and spearheading resettlement for the displaced Aeta people.
A Legacy of Institutional Compassion
In 1980, she shifted her focus to the "urban peripheries" of Manila. She established the Foundation of Our Lady of Peace Mission, Inc., creating a network of free clinics across ten informal settlements. Her work eventually culminated in the establishment of Our Lady of Peace Hospital, a sanctuary for those often turned away by the private healthcare system.
Dr. Anthony Leachon, a prominent health advocate, described her as a "physician-leader whose hands healed and whose heart uplifted countless lives." Even in her final years, colleagues noted that she remained active, traveling to visit marginalized communities and leading spiritual retreats despite her own declining health.
Servant of the 'Least'
For the global Catholic community, Sister Maamo’s life stands as a profound example of the "Church as a field hospital." Her colleagues remember her not just for her surgical skill, but for her relentless energy that inspired hundreds of volunteers to join her missions.
As the hospital statement concluded: "A life so beautifully lived in service to the poor and in need deserves to be beautifully remembered."
Edited from Source: https://www.ucanews.com/news/filipinos-mourn-magsaysay-award-winner-nun-surgeon/112849
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