St. Philomena parishioner professes as Maryknoll Sister

Sister Abby Avelino professed her final vows as a Maryknoll Sister on Sept. 26, at Assumption Chapel, Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, N.Y.

Born in Tanauan City, Philippines, Sister Abby received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Calamba, Philippines, and received training as a Quality Assurance Auditor in Manila. She immigrated to the U.S. in 2000 and worked for JTL Precision Machining and Waltco Engineering, both in Gardena.

She entered the Maryknoll Sisters in New York in August 2006 from St. Philomena Church in Carson, attracted, she said, by their down-to-earth, humble attitude of service in mission in many countries all over the world.

Prior to her choosing religious missionary life, Sister Abby was a member of the Los Angeles Maryknoll Affiliate chapter. She visited the Maryknoll Sisters retirement house in Monrovia, getting to know the Sisters with their rich experiences in mission.

Following her first vows in 2008, Sister Abby was sent to Japan where she has worked with migrant families from the Philippines for the past six years.