Sister Marisa Lichauco

Current Mission Location – Maryknoll Sisters Center- Maryknoll, NY

Marisa Lichauco was born August 23, 1929 in Manila, Philippines to Emma (Roensch) Lichauco and Thomas Lichauco. She had three sisters. She graduated from Maryknoll High School in Manila in 1947. In 1951 Marisa earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Marywood College in Scranton, PA and in 1958 a Master of Arts in History from the Ateneo DeManila, Manila, Philippines.

Marisa entered the Maryknoll Sisters September 2, 1959 at the Sisters Center in New York. She pronounced First Vows June 24, 1962 and Final Vows June 24, 1968 in the Philippines.

Sister Marisa’s care for God’s creation started when she was in grade school. As an experiment, each member of her class was given a bean seed to plant in a can filled with soil. She observed the growth of the bean plant with interest and amazement. Her fascination with plants grew through the years and which led her to landscaping gardens.

In 1963, Sister Marisa received her first mission assignment to Guatemala. There she landscaped the whole campus while teaching primary and secondary school students.

Sister Marisa continued to cultivate her students’ holistic development when she was assigned to the Philippines in 1968 as a teacher at Maryknoll College. Eventually, she became the principal of Maryknoll Grade School there.

Sister Marisa shaped programs on faculty development and has been a pioneer in the education and rehabilitation of the indigent physically challenged at Tahanang Walang Hagdanan (House with No Steps) as administrator and then as director of education.

Sister Marisa’s nurturing ways led her to her ministry, the care and concern for the environment. She focused on environmental education, giving workshops that stimulated interest in the importance of preserving our environment.

In 2018 Sister Marisa returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in New York to retire in the Maryknoll Home Care unit.