Sister Catalina Santos Villacruzada’s vocation story is not marked by grand moments or dramatic turns, but by a quiet, steady “yes” that continues to echo even today in her active life within the community in Kaohsiung.

Born on March 22, 1944, in the humble village of Imnajbu, Uyugan, Batanes, Philippines, she was baptized on the very day she entered the world—a sign, perhaps, of a life destined to belong entirely to God. The only child of Elena de los Santos and Pablo Villacruzada, with one half-brother from her mother’s first marriage, she grew up in simplicity, surrounded by the rhythms of island life.

Her early years were not particularly marked by strong religious fervor. She completed her elementary studies in Imnajbu and her secondary education in Basco, later pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. Though she did not complete her degree, God was already quietly at work in her heart.
Her vocation began in the most simple and unexpected way. After high school, she expressed a desire to become a religious to the Dominican sisters who had been her teachers. There was no elaborate plan—only a gentle attraction and a willingness to follow. Soon after, she left home with them, beginning a journey that would span continents and decades of faithful service.

​She entered the convent on April 5, 1962, in Santa Rita, Pampanga. Within the same year, she began her novitiate on December 29. Her first profession followed on January 1, 1965, and her perpetual profession on December 31, 1969. From the very beginning, Sister Catalina understood her call not as one of prominence, but of service. She found joy in the hidden and humble tasks—domestic work, catechesis, and the ordinary responsibilities that sustain community life.

In 1971, she was sent as a missionary to Taiwan—a land that would become her lifelong home. There, she embraced a wide range of apostolates with generosity and quiet dedication. She assisted in the canteen of Dominican School in Taipei, served as a hospital worker in Tainan, and worked in the clinic of St. Joseph Hospital in Santimen. She also ministered among the Paiwan tribe in the mountains of Utay, sharing in their lives with humility and care.

​In later years, she devoted herself to educating young children at Dominican International Schools in both Taipei and Kaohsiung. Beyond the classroom, she reached out to those on the margins—assisting in the spiritual care of migrant workers in Fanhua, Pingtung, and volunteering at a leprosarium in Taipei.
In every mission entrusted to her, she carried the same spirit—faithful, simple, and ever ready to serve.

​Throughout the years, she has also been entrusted with roles such as sacristan, procurator, and community worker. These responsibilities, often unseen and uncelebrated, became her path to holiness.

​Her journey has not been without suffering. In her early years in religious life, she developed chronic rheumatoid arthritis, a condition she continues to carry. Yet, rather than becoming an obstacle, this suffering became part of her offering. With quiet faith, she believes that even the smallest acts especially those done in pain can be transformed into something meaningful when offered to God.

​Even now, at 82 years old, Sister Catalina remains present and active in community life in Kaohsiung. She continues to participate, to serve in ways she can, and to witness through her very presence that vocation is not about what one achieves, but about how one remains faithful.
When asked about her life, she speaks with disarming humility. She says she is still trying, still learning, and does not consider herself holy. Her only desire is to keep moving toward God. With simple trust, she entrusts everything to His mercy.

And perhaps that is where the beauty of her vocation truly lies—not in extraordinary achievements, but in a lifetime of quiet perseverance, humble service, and unwavering faith. Sister Catalina reminds us that holiness is not found in greatness, but in the daily, faithful “yes” that continues, even now, in the heart of Kaohsiung.

​聖召的故事，有時並不是轟轟烈烈，而是在平凡中持續說出「是」的生命見證。聖康黛娜修女（Sister Catalina Santos Villacruzada）的生命，正是這樣一段安靜卻深刻的旅程，如今仍在高雄的團體生活中繼續綻放。

她於1944年3月22日出生於菲律賓巴丹群島（Batanes）Uyugan 的 Imnajbu 村，並在同一天領受洗禮，彷彿從生命的開始就屬於天主。她是 Elena de los Santos 與 Pablo Villacruzada 的女兒，家中獨生，另有一位同母異父的兄長。她在純樸的環境中成長，度過簡單而踏實的童年。

年輕時的她，並不特別表現出濃厚的宗教熱忱。她在家鄉完成小學教育，之後於 Basco 完成中學學業，並曾前往馬尼拉的聖多瑪斯大學（University of Santo Tomas）攻讀小學教育學士學位，雖然未能完成學業，但天主早已在她心中悄然工作。

​她的聖召來得簡單而自然。高中畢業後，她曾向教導她宗教課的道明會修女表達了想成為修女的心願。沒有複雜的計畫，只有一份單純的吸引與回應。不久之後，她便隨著修女們離開家鄉，踏上奉獻生活的旅程。
1962年4月5日，她進入邦板牙（Pampanga）Santa Rita的會院 ；同年12月29日開始初學期；1965年1月1日發初願，並於1969年12月31日發永願。從一開始，她就清楚自己的召叫不在於學術成就，而是在謙卑的服務中回應天主。她樂於承擔家務工作、教理講授以及團體中的各項責任，在平凡中活出不平凡的忠信。

1971年，她被派往臺灣傳教，這片土地也成為她終身的家。在這裡，她以慷慨與默默奉獻的精神，承擔了各種不同的使徒服務。她曾在臺北道明學校的餐廳服務，在臺南擔任醫院工作人員，並於三地門聖若瑟醫院的診所服務。她也深入烏泰山區，與排灣族同住同行，以謙卑與關懷陪伴他們的生活。
在往後的歲月裡，她投身於教育使命，於臺北與高雄的道明國際學校教導年幼的學生。課堂之外，她亦關懷社會邊緣的人群——在屏東繁華地區服務外籍勞工的靈修需要，並在臺北痲瘋病院擔任志工。
在每一項被託付的使命中，她始終懷抱同樣的精神——忠信、純樸，隨時準備為他人服務。
在團體中，她也曾擔任祭衣室負責人（sacristan）、總務（procurator）及各項服務工作。這些不顯眼的職務，卻成為她走向聖德的道路。
她的生命並非沒有十字架。在修道初期，她便罹患慢性類風濕性關節炎，多年來承受身體的痛苦。然而，她並未因此退縮，反而將這些苦難化為奉獻的一部分。她深信，即使是最微小的行動，只要奉獻給天主，都能成為有意義的愛的表達。

如今已82歲的康黛娜修女，仍然在高雄的團體中活躍地生活著。她以自己的方式繼續參與、服務，並以她的存在見證：聖召不在於成就多少，而在於是否忠信到底。

當人們問及她的修道生活時，她總是謙遜地說，自己仍在努力，並不認為自己是聖善的人。她唯一的目標，是不斷走向天主。她以單純的信德，將一切託付於天主的慈悲之中。

康黛娜修女的一生提醒我們：聖德並不在於偉大的事業，而是在每日平凡中不斷說出的「是」。而這個「是」，至今仍在高雄的團體中，溫柔而堅定地回響著。