Co, Ma. Anicia B., R.V.M., S.T.D., Ph.D.

• Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, University of Sto. Tomas, Manila
• Master of Arts in Theological Studies, Maryhill School of Theology, Quezon City
• Licentiate in Sacred Theology, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
• Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
• Doctorate in Sacred Theology, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium

• The Longer Summaries in Acts 2 – 5. A Historical Survey of Exegetical Literature, STL Dissertation, Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven, Belgium, 1987.
• The Composite Summaries in Acts 2 – 5. A Study of Luke’s Use of Summary as a Narrative Technique. STD Dissertation, Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven, 1990.
• “The Major Summaries in Acts: Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35; 5:12-16. Linguistic and Literary Relationship,” ETL 68 (1992); 49-85.
• A Key to the Acts of the Apostles, Quezon City, 1993.
• Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo (1663-1748). A Lamp to Our Path, RVM-MICS, Quezon Ctiy, 1998.
• “The Acts of the Apostles,” New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2003.
• “Fusion of Horizons – Women Naming and Celebrating God-Experience,” co-authored with Dr. Agnes Brazal, MST Review, also published in Discipleship of Asian Women at the Service of Life, ed. V. Saldanha, Bangalore: Claretian Publications, 2007, pp. 199-221.
• “Mary, Model of Discipleship,” in Discipleship of Asian Women at the Service of Life, ed. V. Saldanha, Bangalore:
  Claretian Publications, 2007, pp. 124-143.
• “Jesus, Our Hope” Catholic News, Malaysia, 2010.
• “A New Look at Mary,” in From Vision to Pondo ng Pinoy, A Festschrift for Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales,
  RCAM & PNP, 2011, 296-319.

Sr. Maria Anicia Bation Co, RVM was born on December 30, 1953 in Baliuag, Bulacan. She finished her elementary and high school education at St. Mary’s Academy (now St. Mary’s College), Baliuag, Bulacan. She then went to the University of Sto. Tomas, Manila, for her college education. After earning her degree, Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, she entered the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary. She made her first profession on August 15, 1977 and studied for one year at the Sisters’ Formation Institute in Quezon City before being assigned to teach Christian Living in an RVM school in Cebu City. After her assignment as college professor of Philosophy and Theology, Theology Coordinator, and Dean of Student Affairs at the Immaculate Conception College, Davao City (now University of the Immaculate Conception), she was sent to pursue Master of Arts in Theological Studies at Maryhill School of Theology. She went to the Immaculate Conception College, Davao City, every summer from 1981 to 1985 to teach Scripture courses in the Summer Program for Religious Education. Her studies were interrupted in 1983 when she was called to tertianship to prepare for her final profession. She pronounced her final vows on March 31, 1984.

She then resumed and completed her studies at Maryhill in 1985. That same year, through the encouragement and help of the CICM Fathers, the RVM Congregation sent her to pursue higher studies in Louvain, Belgium. She returned to the Philippines in 1990 after earning from the Catholic University of Louvain the following degrees – Licentiate in Sacred Theology, Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies and Doctorate in Sacred Theology. In 1993, she joined a two-month program in Israel that included visits to archaeological sites.

She was involved in the secretariat during the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines in 1991 and participated in the National Pastoral Consultation on Church Renewal in 2001.

From 1991 to 2001 she taught Scriptures and theology in different schools of theology, seminaries and institutes of formation, namely, Loyola School of Theology, Maryhill School of Theology, San Carlos Seminary-Makati, Mother of Good Counsel Seminary-Pampanga, De La Salle University-Taft, Institute of Formation and Religious Studies-Quezon City. She was a resource speaker on women discipleship and spirituality in the Bishops Institute of Lay Apostolate (BILA) on Women in 1998 and 2001. She gave talks and lectures on Scripture, Mary, women and spirituality to different groups of religious and lay.

She was also involved in the service committees of the RVM congregation, taught in the RVM Formation Houses (pre-novitiate to tertianship), was a staff of the Mother Ignacia Center for Spirituality and resource person on the life and spirituality of the RVM Foundress, Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo. She participated in the RVM General Chapter as elected delegate in 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2016, and as an ex-officio member in 2006, 2011 and 2021.

In 2001 she was elected as second general consultor of the RVM congregation and re-elected as third general consultor in 2006. As member of the general council, she was tasked to oversee the RVM Education Ministry. To be equipped for this responsibility she enrolled in the PhD Educational Leadership and Management Executive Program of De La Salle University-Taft. She completed her academic requirements in 2005. From 2003 to 2011, she was the chair of the RVM Education Ministry Commission, President of the RVM Educational Association of the Philippines, Chair or member of the Board of Trustees of RVM colleges and university, President of St. Mary’s College, Quezon City. She was elected as director at large of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) in 2009 and served in the CEAP board until 2011. She served as consultant for the RVM Christian Living Textbooks from 2006 to 2011. She was the consultant and editor of the RVM K-12 Christian Living Textbooks published in 2018.

After serving two terms in the RVM General Council in 2011, she was permitted by her congregation to resume teaching Scriptures and theology. She joined a two-week Bible Study and Travel Program in Greece and Turkey in August 2011.

She was again elected to the RVM General Council in 2016 as second general consultor. Her responsibilities in the Congregation include Consultor for Vocation and Formation, Directress of the Mother Ignacia Center for Spirituality and Archives and Research Coordinator.

She now teaches at the Loyola School of Theology, Divine Word Seminary, Tagaytay City, Institute of Consecrated Life for Asia (ICLA), Maryhill School of Theology and the RVM Religious Education Institute.

From 2002 to 2012 S. Ma. Anicia was a member of the Office of Theological Concerns of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences. She was a founding member of the Catholic Biblical Association of the Philippines (CBAP) and elected President in 2014-2017. She serves as a member of International Academic Advisory Board (IAAB) of the Institute of Spirituality in Asia.