Dear Sr Carmelina,
It’s been 5 months since you went to meet the Risen Lord, and for us at Our Lady Immaculate School, it’s been as if you are still with us. I found it hard to put into words my thoughts and feelings following your loss since putting pen on paper give a sense of closure and I was not ready to say goodbye. It is hard to say goodbye especially when the person has had such an important place in your heart.
Sr Carmelina, you are still missed for various reasons. You always put the school and the needs of the school before yourself. You were selfless, very generous with people in need, and worked as hard as all of us put together. You still went up and down the stairs distributing books and ensuring that whatever was needed was done even if it meant that you never had a break, even when your legs when swollen and you were in pain. You were an inspiration to all of us. A hard-working person like I have never met before.
On occasions you got angry and everyone ran away waiting for the few minutes to pass and for you to calm down. However, only after a few minutes, your blue eyes used to twinkle again and your smile came back. You hated waste and dishonesty. You taught us all that if there is need for something then the investment will be made but if not, we should not even think about it. The school strived forward over the past few years, we bought Interactive Whiteboards and Promethaean screens, computers for all employees and invested in so many books and resources. Only a few know that a few years back the school did not even have any equipment but today we are proud of the investments made in technology which ensures a modern approach to our teaching and learning practices. And this was possible because you trusted me and understood the need to ensure that the school moved forward in line with the current developments. Together we worked to ensure that Our Lady Immaculate School offers the best education we could offer and when I, as Head came to you and explained the needs that needed to be looked into, you never said no. You always said ‘Li hemm bżonn nagħmlu’ – whatever needs to be done we will do. And those are exactly the last words you told me when I visited you only a couple of days before you passed away. Your last words to me were: hemm bżonn xi ħaġa l-iskola? Hemm xi ħaġa li ma ħallasniex? – does the school need anything? Have we paid all our bills? Is there anything pending? And I put your mind at rest that everything was in order and that all the bills were paid. (You were a stickler with bills. You paid everyone immediately.) You thanked me for my work at school as if you knew that that would be the last time we talked. We held hands and I thanked you back last August, and I still thank you today dear Sr Carmelina for all your hard work, for your integrity, and for being you.
You will always have a very special place in my heart. Rest In Peace Dear Sr Carmelina.
Audrey XXXX