​ Kaohsiung, Taiwan — At 93 years old, Sr. Rita Pan continues to embody a life of quiet dedication, faith, and service. A religious sister for six decades and an educator for more than 25 years, she remains a respected figure whose influence is felt not through authority, but through the example of her life.
 
Born on February 11, 1933, in Kaohsiung, Sr. Rita’s vocation story begins in an ordinary yet transformative moment. As a high school student, she passed daily by the historic Holy Rosary Church without ever entering until one Christmas Day during her second year. 
 
Accompanied by classmates, she stepped inside for the first time. The silence and solemnity of the space struck her deeply. Led by a sister to the chapel where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed, she knelt—an experience she would later describe as quietly life-changing.
 
From that moment, her journey of faith began to unfold.
 
Out of the group, only she and one companion continued attending church regularly. While her family did not oppose her growing faith, she chose to wait for their consent before receiving baptism. During this time, she selected St. Rita as her patron saint—one who remains a lifelong spiritual companion.
 
Though initially drawn to the idea of family life, even expressing a desire to become a mother, Sr. Rita found herself gradually responding to a different call.
 
Her decision to enter religious life was not without difficulty. Her father, deeply affected by the prospect, once told her, “If you leave this house, do not come back.” Yet beneath the pain was love. They reached an agreement: if by the age of 30 she still felt called, she would follow that path.
 
Those intervening years became a period of quiet reconciliation. Her father’s resistance softened into gestures of care and silent support. At home, she lived a life of service balancing prayer, household responsibilities, and care for her family, trusting in God’s strength.
 
On December 24, just before her 30th birthday, she entered religious life. Though her father did not accompany her, he sent dowry money that same evening through her brother—a silent but meaningful sign of acceptance.
 
Sr. Rita joined the Religious Missionaries of St. Dominic in 1962, beginning her novitiate the following year. She made her first profession in 1965 and her perpetual vows in 1970.
 
Her formation took her beyond Taiwan to the Philippines and later the United States. There, she faced academic challenges, particularly with the English language, even failing her first year. Undeterred, she persevered. With encouragement, she began again and eventually excelled, discovering strengths in mathematics and later pursuing library science.
 
In 1988, she completed a Master’s degree in Education at Michigan University—an achievement she once thought beyond her reach.
 
Returning to Taiwan, Sr. Rita devoted herself fully to education. She served as a teacher, and later as principal, director, and administrator in institutions across Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Okinawa, Japan.
 
Over more than two decades in leadership, she became known for a deeply personal and respectful approach. She made it a point to learn and remember each teacher’s name, sometimes as many as 250, so she could address them individually.
 
Her philosophy of education is simple yet profound: leadership must be lived, not imposed; respect is the foundation of education; and discipline begins with oneself.
 
She is known for simplifying meetings, valuing time, and leading by example. She corrects privately, protects the dignity of teachers, and avoids forcing students, believing that education must adapt to the individual.
 
“There are no bad students,” she often says, “only teachers who have not yet found the way.”
 
Her international experiences, particularly in Japan, further shaped her outlook. She admires systems where discipline is balanced with respect—where teachers speak gently, students are formed in responsibility, and dignity is preserved.
 
Beyond her professional life, Sr. Rita remains deeply connected to her family. Her father, once opposed to her vocation, later expressed pride in her, even composing poetry in her honor. She carries, however, a quiet regret at not being able to be fully present during her mother’s final moments.
 
Coming from a family of eleven children, she inherits a strong sense of generosity, influenced by her grandfather, a doctor who served the poor, and her father’s own example of service.
 
Reflecting on her life, Sr. Rita often notes that it did not unfold according to her original plans. Though she once dreamed of becoming a mother, she has become one in a broader sense—guiding students, mentoring teachers, and nurturing communities.
 
She never sought leadership, yet she was entrusted with it: local Superior, provincial prioress, counselor, principal, directress. She never pursued success, yet her life continues to bear fruit.
 
Today, Sr. Rita Pan’s story remains one of ongoing vocation—a life still being lived with quiet faith, steady commitment, and enduring grace.

​ 潘采薇修女：被恩寵引領的一生，在教育與信仰中持續啟發人心

台灣高雄——93歲的潘采薇修女，至今仍以她安靜而堅定的奉獻、信仰與服務精神，活出一段動人的生命見證。作為一位奉獻生活已六十年的修女，以及從事教育工作超過二十五年的教育者，她的影響力並非來自權威，而是源於她生命本身所散發的榜樣力量。

1933年2月11日，潘修女出生於高雄。她的聖召故事，始於一個平凡卻深刻轉變的時刻。高中時期，她每天經過歷史悠久的玫瑰聖母聖殿，卻從未踏入其中——直到高二那年的聖誕節。

那一天，她與同學一同走進教堂。聖堂內的寧靜與莊嚴深深觸動了她。在一位修女的引領下，她來到明供聖體的小堂，跪下祈禱——這段經驗，日後她形容為一種悄然改變生命的時刻。
從那一刻起，她的信仰旅程悄然展開。

在同行的同學中，只有她與另一位同伴持續定期參與教會生活。雖然家人並未反對她逐漸加深的信仰，她仍選擇在領洗前耐心等待家人的同意。在此期間，她選擇聖麗達作為主保聖人，並終其一生視她為靈修上的同行者。
起初，她也曾嚮往婚姻與家庭生活，甚至希望成為一位母親。然而，在內心深處，她逐漸回應了另一種召叫。

​她選擇修道的決定並不容易。父親因難以接受而曾對她說：「如果妳離開這個家，就不要再回來。」然而，在這份痛苦之下，仍蘊藏著深厚的愛。父女之間最終達成一項約定：若她到了三十歲仍確定這份召叫，便可以踏上這條道路。
接下來的歲月，成為一段默默修和的時期。父親的抗拒逐漸轉化為關懷與無聲的支持。在家中，她一面祈禱，一面承擔家務與照顧家人的責任，在平凡中信賴天主的力量。

在三十歲生日前夕的12月24日，她正式踏入修道生活。雖然父親沒有親自送行，卻在當晚透過弟弟送來她的嫁妝費——這是一種無聲卻深具意義的接納。

1962年，潘修女加入道明傳教修女會，隔年開始初學生活，並於1965年宣發初願，1970年宣發永願。
她的培育歷程帶她走出臺灣，前往菲律賓，之後又赴美國深造。在學習過程中，她曾面對語言上的困難，特別是英語，甚至在第一年未能通過。然而，她沒有放棄。在鼓勵之下，她重新開始，最終不僅克服困難，還發現自己在數學方面的能力，並進一步研讀圖書館學。

1988年，她於密西根大學取得教育碩士學位——這曾是她以為無法達成的目標。
回到臺灣後，潘修女全心投入教育工作。她曾在台北、高雄，以及日本沖繩的教育機構服務，擔任教師、校長、主任與行政職務。

在超過二十年的領導經驗中，她以極具人性與尊重的方式著稱。她努力記住每一位教師的名字，有時多達250人，只為能親自稱呼每一位同仁。
​
她的教育理念簡單而深刻：領導應以身作則，而非強加於人；尊重是教育的基礎；紀律應由自身開始。
她重視會議效率，珍惜時間，以榜樣帶領他人。她私下糾正錯誤，維護教師尊嚴，並避免強迫學生，因為她相信教育應因人而異。

「沒有壞學生，只有尚未找到方法的老師。」這句話是她經常分享的信念。
她在日本的經驗也深深影響了她的教育觀。她欣賞那種兼顧紀律與尊重的制度——教師溫和地引導，學生在責任中成長，每個人的尊嚴都被保護。

在專業之外，潘修女始終與家庭保持深厚連結。曾經反對她修道的父親，後來以她為榮，甚至為她寫詩。她心中仍帶著一份淡淡的遺憾——未能在母親臨終時全然陪伴在側。

她出身於一個十一個孩子的大家庭，承襲了深厚的慷慨精神。這份精神來自她的祖父——一位為貧苦者服務的醫生，以及她父親樂於助人的榜樣。

回顧一生，潘修女常說，她的人生並未按照最初的計畫展開。雖然她曾夢想成為母親，卻以更寬廣的方式活出了母職——引導學生、培育教師、滋養團體。

​她從未追求領導職務，卻被委以重任：院長、省會長、顧問、校長、院務負責人。她從未刻意追求成功，卻結出豐碩的果實。

​今日，潘麗達修女的故事，依然是一段持續進行中的聖召——一種以安靜的信德、穩定的承諾與持久的恩寵所活出的生命。