"Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!
For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone...
And the song of the dove is heard in our land...
Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!"
(Song of Songs 2:10-13)
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
It was early evening on July 6, 2008 when God, our Heavenly Father called our dear Sr. Stephanie to Himself. She was only 85 years of age.
Rose Marie DeCosta Pavao was born to Maria and Antoine DeCosta Pavao on January 11, 1923. She graduated from Farrington High School in 1941 and spent time working in the pineapple cannery and Pearl Harbor Ford Island before entering the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary on March 25, 1942. Her first Profession was on April 16, 1944 when she took the name of Sr. Stephanie and she made her perpetual profession on April 20, 1947. For thirty-four years she taught music at Sacred Hearts Academy. Among her students is the noted entertainer Nohelani Cypriano and Pamela Maiava who sings with the Honolulu Opera Company.
Besides music, Sr. Stephanie's talented fingers sewed beautiful Spanish dolls, stuffed animals and fashioned lovely gift-wrapped packages. So beautiful were the packages that you didn't want to open the gift and spoil the wrapping.
In her later years, Sr. Stephanie also served in parish ministry at Sacred Heart Church in Waianae. In 1988 she moved to St. Anthony Retreat Home where she took charge of the distribution of altar bread for parishes throughout Hawaii. Finally in 2001, she retired to Malia 0 Ka Malu where she continued to make stuffed animals until illness claimed her strength. We surely will remember her skilled fingers, but most of all we'll remember her ready, beaming, welcoming smile that she shared with anyone who approached her. Sister went home peacefully to God on Sunday, July 6, 2008.
As indicated by our Constitutions and Statutes, we commend Sr. Stephanie to your prayers and Eucharist in thanksgiving for her dedicated and faithful service to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
United in the Sacred Hearts,
Malia 0 Ka Malu Community
Honolulu, Hawaii