SISTER PIA KEEPS GOING.

Three other Jubilarians celebrated with Sr Pia. Sisters Eugene Herrera and Emeria Grace (65 years each), and Sr Maria Goretti Cherubim (50 years), who is seriously ill and was unable to attend the celebration. His Grace Edward Gilbert, Archbishop of Port-of-Spain, presided over the ceremony, consisting of Holy Mass with Renewal of Vows; and Sr Maureen Alexander, assistant Provincial, welcomed all.

Sister Pia, the elder sister of Newsday’s Associate Editor John Babb, was born 80 years ago this coming October 30, at Valencia, and attended the Valencia Roman Catholic School. “The teachers were very religious people; my mother and father were kind of religious people, for that matter all the people around were religious. In those days you began and ended school with prayers, and had to give up catechism. Prayers had to come first,” she said.

Yet there was never an urge to become a nun while growing up. When the time came says Sister Pia: “It just happened, I just felt I had to be one.”

The Babbs moved to Arouca and Leontine (her name before joining the nunnery) to Arouca Roman Catholic School. Then came the war and they moved to Port-of-Spain. “Imagine I lived next door to the Convent on Abercromby Street,” she said.

Then the family went to Petit Valley and because of the war she was not allowed to ride down to Port-of-Spain. With her dry sense of humour Sister Pia chuckled: “I had a governess. My aunt got somebody attending her commercial school to teach me in Petit Valley, and in exchange she got her lessons free.”

It was around this time that Leontine decided she wanted to enter the convent.

“I did it on my own accord, nobody encouraged me, instead they asked what is she doing that for? I did not know myself but just knew I had to go. Maybe it was after living in Arouca seeing nuns all the time. And I have never regretted it.”

Sister Pia firmly believes, “Maybe the Lord brought me to fill in, I am an all-rounder and always fitted in where there were some problems.”

Her first stint was at St Joseph Convent Junior School in Port-of-Spain teaching religious knowledge: “The junior school was still on this side with the convent.”

Then she was sent to Grenada at the time that the convents were closing their boarding schools; followed by a posting to St Vincent to the new Marriaqua Secondary School now called St Joseph’s Convent, Marriaqua. There were just two nuns to run it — Sr Gabrielle Mason, the present Provincial Superior of the Cluny Sisters in the Caribbean, and Sr Pia, who taught Bible Knowledge and Cookery. While there, the Mount Soufriere volcano erupted and it was Sr Pia who looked after the people from Sandy Bay.

“The school became a camp, every classroom was like a house. I had to rush to the hospital for babies who were being born; people were in shock; I was looking after babies and people,” she said.

But it was on her return to Grenada, where Sr Pia still lives, that there came the “baptism of fire” when she found herself in the middle of the Revolution. “I was not frightened, to me —young and stupid—, it was interesting. During World War II, I read all the books concerning war so I was interested in seeing the bombs dropping in Grenada. They warned to hang your head. I didn’t at first but quickly realised that with your head up you felt at the back of your neck like if something was lifting off your head. I was quick enough to bend my head.”

Of the people who were caught up in the Revolution she said: “These were people I knew, one of them even taught with us. Jacqueline Creft was my good friend. I am still visiting Maurice Bishop’s mother and sisters. It was a puzzle, ...people I knew, so how to hate or how to love them. I used to visit the prison and see them but I have stopped driving so can no longer go.”

What does Sr Pia do now that she no longer teaches?

“Plenty,” was the brisk retort. “I am working in the nuns residence, where there are seven of us; have my garden and dog; instruct parents for baptism; choose hymns for Mass, lead the Rosary and still visit the hospital. There is always work to do, not only school work, there are plenty other things to do. I am the one to keep the chapel clean and nice.”