Sister Aida Manlucu
Current Ministry Location – Panama
Aida Manlucu was born March 11, 1939 in Manila, Philippines to Albina (Zamora) Manlucu and Alfonso Manlucu. She had one sister. Aida graduated from Araullo High School, Manila, Philippines. Then she earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and English from the University of the Philippines. She worked as a research assistant, a chemical analyst, and a chemistry instructor at FEATI University in Manila.
Deciding she wanted to be a missioner, Sister Aida contacted the Maryknoll Sisters and was invited to work at the Maryknoll High School in Panabo City, Davao, Philippines for a year so that the Sisters could get to know her and she them.
Aida entered the Maryknoll Sisters novitiate in the Philippines June 26, 1966. She professed First Vows June 22, 1969 in the Philippines and Final Vows March 25, 1975 in Guatemala.
In 1970 Sister Aida was assigned to Guatemala, where she taught chemistry and mathematics at Colegio Monte Maria. Assigned to Mexico from 1976 – 82 Sister worked with Christian communities and supported women’s causes.
In 1984 Sister Aida returned to the United States and worked in California as part of the Maryknoll Sisters Admission Team.
Sister Aida went to the Philippines where she was engaged in the same admissions ministry for three years. In 1990, she was assigned to Managua, Nicaragua, where she was involved in the formation of Christian communities and youth and women’s groups.
Returning to the USA, in 1993, Sister attended the Institute of Formation of Religious Studies at St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO receiving a Certificate in Religious Formation after which she served as part of the Orientation Team at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in New York. In 1997, Sister Aida earned her master’s degree in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University in Chicago, IL.
In 1997, she was assigned to Namibia, where she served on the Women’s Commission of the Namibian Bishops Conference. In this capacity Sister Aida conducted workshops for women on domestic violence, civil, inheritance and property rights, worked with those suffering from HIV/AIDS, and also conducted leadership courses for the women.
Since 2011, Sister Aida coordinated Caritas Namibia and the Family Commission of the Namibian Bishops Conference. In addition to helping give Caritas a role in Namibia, Sister Aida focused on domestic violence issues and promoting family life in the country.
Sister was assigned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in NY in 2016 to serve in the Library. In 2017 she was assigned to Panama.