My name is Maria Bernardina Pascual de Taveras, but everyone knows me as “Doña Buby”, I belong to the Parish of Our Lady of Hope, in the Municipality of Esperanza, in the Diocese of Mao-Montecristi. Last December 15 I turned 100 years old and to the glory of God, of these one hundred years of life, I have 56 living OF COLORS. My Cursillo was the 66th, celebrated from January 21 to 24, 1968 in La Herradura, Santiago.
TESTIMONY OF CUARTO DIA
In spite of having had an organized life before making my Cursillo, because I always tried to present a cheerful face and a smile to every living being; in my work and social environment, as a teacher for more than 20 years and director of an educational center for 15 years; I did not know Christ. I worked for others, but after my cursillo, Christ gave me a new life, his love transformed me. I fell completely in love with the Cursillo Movement, because it is a Christ-centered movement. Thanks to the Cursillos in Christianity I learned to see life with different eyes, I learned to live every day, but with the eyes of Christ and to know how to face every obstacle with his grace, because the most wonderful thing in the world is love and the greatest happiness, to give it to others, because to love Christ is to love the brothers.
APOSTOLIC ACTION AND LIFE
With the grace of God in my life, six months after my cursillo I entered the School of Leaders in Santiago de los Caballeros. I traveled weekly from Esperanza to Santiago, since, in my Diocese, the School did not exist yet. In that same year I prepared myself and launched myself as a rollista, being my first roll Apostolic Action, with which I always identified myself and later, with Estudio del Ambiente. Little by little I continued to integrate and study, to contribute to the creation of the School of Leaders and the Secretariat of my Diocese of Mao-Montecristi. I participated for many years in the first workshops of ladies held in the Diocese: Montecristi, Boca de Mao, Dajabón, Cacique, Monción and even in the USA.
Being faithful to what the priest, Spiritual Director of my cursillo, told me: “Buby, Christ counts on you” and I answered: “and I with his Grace”. I have carried these words from the deepest part of my heart, as a faithful commitment. So much so, that I tell you my dear brothers: the wedding of my first son coincided with a cursillo in which it was my turn to serve, in Montecristi; between this great crossroads, I went to the Blessed Sacrament and crying at his feet, I asked the Lord: What do I do? And at that very moment I received my answer. Feeling that I was in the air, I went out and went to serve Him. I can tell you that I have never regretted making this decision, today I am happy and He has never abandoned me.
Brothers: in order to persevere on this path, the CCM offers us means of perseverance, remember the tripod. Daily prayer (I do not miss a Sunday Eucharist, even with my 100 years I still participate in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament), I have always kept myself studying by reading and meditating on the Word of God. Always in action, visiting the sick, I was initiator of the Legion of Mary in my municipality, extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, catechist of pre-marriage courses, reader, among other services.
I always tried to evangelize my environments as a teacher, former vice mayor and former councilwoman of my municipality, I took many people to the cursillos and did social work for the needy, I was a precursor of the Red Cross, Civil Defense, Firefighters and the Music Academy of my town of Esperanza.
Finally: “Cursillista who does not attend the ultreyas and group reunions, is like a ship without direction, whose rudder has broken”, I never miss them and I will always continue to attend, until God takes me to eternity with Him on the fifth day!
For on that day, I will jubilantly be able to say: Christ and I, Overwhelming Majority!
God Bless you, Always in Colors! Your sister in Christ;
Buby!
