Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Sister Marianita Zabala received her education from the Millvale Franciscans in San Antonio, Puerto Rico. After graduating from Colegio San Antonio, she moved to New York and entered the community from St. Augustine Parish in the Bronx. She began her teaching mission at Colegio San Antonio in 1956 and has ministered there as teacher or principal for a total of 35 years, with changes in-between-times. Those in-between-times included a variety of ministries, including teaching eight years at Santa Cruz, Puerto Rico; mission coordinator and Spanish teacher at North Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, Pa.; accounts payable supervisor at St. Francis Medical Center in Pittsburgh and vocation and junior director at the Formation House in Cayey, Puerto Rico.

Marianita says she has lived a full life as a Franciscan and has enjoyed all the ministries in which she has served. She believes her mother, who taught her to be strong and take people as they are, has been her greatest inspiration.

A cause very dear to Marianita’s heart is the plight of the poor. Since she cannot help them with money, she gives them all the time, attention and love she can.  She prays that religious life will flourish, although it may be different in years to come.

Marianita likes to pray the scriptures and she takes delight in her favorite quote from Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. In verdant pastures, He gives me repose.”