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Eulogy of Sr. Maria Cruz Moja Landaluce

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Sr. Maria Cruz Moja Landaluce was born on July 7, 1931 to Pedro Moja and Rufina Landaluce a very fervent Catholic couple in Vizcaya in the Diocese of Bilbao, Spain. Sensing the call to give her life entirely to the service of the Lord she entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary novitiate in Pamplona on June 11, 1951 and pronounced her first vows on December 15, 1953 and her Final vows in 1956 in Sri Lanka.

She showed a great desire to go to the missions & her longing was soon fulfilled. After a brief stay in Karachchi, she arrived in Sri Lanka and was assigned to Our Lady of Victories, Moratuwa in September 1954. She tirelessly tended the little infants in the crèche with loving care both in Moratuwa and Piliyandala.

By being close to the people she adapted herself easily to the local customs and by diligent self-study she picked up Sinhala & Tamil to converse with the people. She fulfilled whatever charges assigned to her but her greatest desire was to care for the Hansen patients especially those who could not attend the clinics. In 1972 she followed a course in Red Cross Nursing and in 1988 she followed a course on caring for Leper patients in Fontilles, Spain and these well-equipped her for her work at the Mantivu Leper Hospital extending her services to Ampara, Batticaloa Bandarawela, Kalmunai, Akkaraipattu, Nuwara – Eliya, and Mahiyangana.

One of her outstanding desires was to serve the poor – facing untold hardships in traveling by cart & lorry in jungle areas. Some incidents related by her gives an idea of her endurance: While walking in a jungle area she had an encounter with a wild elephant who had walked along with her, brushing past her. A few steps ahead, the PHI asked her how she felt when the elephant brushed past her, whether she was frightened but she answered in the negative.

Another day, in the forest, she met a young boy with wounds all over his body and hands. He had been taking treatment for a long time but with no cure. Sr. Maria Cruz gave him some tablets to be taken daily for seven days. The boy came to her the very next day, triumphantly showing his hands. They were fully cured, not a trace of the wounds! An unforgettable miracle!

She even found partners and prepared them for marriage. Sr. Maria Cruz helped many poor children in their education and uplifted them. She was much loved by them. Sr. Maria Cruz is sure to hear the words of Jesus ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’ (Mt. 25: 40)

As the years rolled by Sr. Maria was assigned to lighter work at St. Anthony’s Borella, Mangala, Rajagiriya & finally St. Joseph’s, Brookside, Piliyandala from where she flew to her eternal reward with the good Lord.

She lived 72 years as an FMM and she loved and served the people of Sri Lanka for 69 glorious years and now we are about to lay her remains at rest in our soil as she always wished.

Good bye dear Sr. Maria Cruz. We love you! May you be happy for ever enjoying the Beatic vision forever! Let us partake in this Eucharistic Celebration, with gratitude to God for the beautiful life of Sr. Maria Cruz and pray that God may grant her eternal bliss, which He promised to each one of us.

Sister Ranjani Gurusinghe
St. Joseph’s Convent,
Piliyandala

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