We had lunch for some Maryknoll classmates at my house in January, and we had wondered why we didn't hear back from one of our classmates, Milette Estrada. Since she was a travel agent who organized pilgrimages, we thought she was away on a pilgrimage, and thought nothing of her silence. It was only recently when we heard, in a round about way, that she had passed away. For the longest time, we did not know when and how exactly she died. It was strange how disconcerted we, her classmates, felt being in the dark like that. The feeling of wanting to blame someone lurked about, not full-blossomed, but it was there: how come those of you in Southern California didn't know? How come her sister said nothing to us? Why? What happened?
Milette Estrada is standing, right
Eventually we learned this:
On December 17, 2014, Milette Estrada (or Carmencita Estrada) was the lector at the 6:30 a.m. Mass at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Costa Mesa. Six priests were present because it was the earliest of the daily Masses. As lector, Milette read the Gospel, and suddenly, when she finished, she fell backwards, hitting her head on the marble floor. Her head was bleeding; she had no pulse; the emergency/paramedics were called. Father Godfrey gave Milette the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. When he finished, the priest said he felt a mild pulse on Milette's wrist and heard her say, "My Lord."
The Mass was stopped and Milette was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced Dead on Arrival.
We also learned that Milette is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial in Cypress at 4471 Lincoln Avenue, Cypress, CA 90630; tel: 888-204-3131.
Milette Estrada is standing second from right
I attended the celebration of her marriage years ago, although unfortunately, that marriage did not work out.
Milette Estrada, right
Milette Estrada is standing, left
Milette Estrada, seated, right
Milette Estrada is fourth from left
Those of us in Southern California are planning a commemorative Mass for Milette, after which we will visit her grave site. We are still all in a dither, in fact, and it will take time to assimilate the fact that Milette is no longer with us, that one of us is gone.
Rest in peace, Milette Estrada.
Read also
Remembering Milette Estrada - Memorial Mass and Pictures
Maryknoll College '68 Reunion in Heiter Residence
Heiter Cinco de Mayo Celebration - Maryknoll Reunion in Palm Desert
School life in the Philippines in the '60s
The Schools I Attended, STC
The Schools I Attended, UP and Maryknoll
The Schools I Attended, UCLA
Tags: Maryknoll College, Maryknollers, Milette Estrada, friends, college, Quezon City, Manila, Philippines
This is all for now,
Cecilia
No comments:
Post a Comment