My name is Sister Maria Faustina. I am a Carmelite Sister of the Divine Heart of Jesus. I have been with this congregation since February of 1992.

My father is Portuguese and my mother is European Asian and I am Eurasian Malaysian which means my descendants are British, Portuguese and Dutch colonists. Interesting! I grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia which is a multicultural and multilingual society thus contributing to diversity and richness of Malaysian national culture.  

My parents owned a funeral home in which we lived upstairs. I was privileged to learn to prepare the casket with straw and beautiful lace. My parents taught me all I needed to learn in order to run the company. We kept the company running until we left  for America.

 At age 12, I felt a strong calling to serve Jesus as a Religious Sister. I asked my mother if I could enter a convent and she thought I was too young. Instead she sent me to The Little Sisters of The Poor and there I learned how to take care of the sick and the dying off the streets.  My parents passed away  in my teens. I continued to pursue my vocation.  In the meantime, I went on to college to pursue studies in Administration and Public Relations. I also attended secretarial class in order to learn shorthand and typing. I was very ambitious and also tutored after-school students. I earned a decent amount of money and used it to travel. My travels had two-fold intentions: to  pursue my calling and to learn about the country to share my knowledge with the students I taught.  

Prior to settling in America, I lived in Australia and New Zealand. I never found my calling in these countries.  However it was in Las Vegas, the second time around as I doubted God the first time that God opened many doors for me. Many people came forward to help me discern my vocation.  

In 1992 I met the Carmelite Sisters of The Divine Heart of Jesus at a Family Conference in Anaheim, California. The Sisters had a booth with all the information on discernment. I took an instant liking to their habit. I stayed and kind of hung out with them until the Novice Mistress invited me to visit them in La Mesa, CA. My religious journey began here in this convent.

December  8th, 2021 marked my 25 years as a Religious Sister. It was a beautiful milestone in my life. I have visited many convents throughout the world and am at present serving as Spiritual Caregiver for Hospice in Grand Rapids, Michigan.