Sister Maria Ester ND 6814 PDF Download
Ester The Erlin NIO
Our Lady of Good Counsel Province, Jakarta, Indonesia
Date and Place of Birth : April 21, 1949 Semarang, Indonesia
Date and Place of Profession: February 05, 1977 Pekalongan, Indonesia
Date and Place of Death : December 13, 2025 Semarang, Indonesia
Date and Place of Funeral : December 14, 2025 Pekalongan, Indonesia
“I have competed well; I have the race; I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy: 4:7)
Ester was born on April 21,1949, and was given the name Ester The Erlin Nio. She was the third child of three children born to The Tjing Hien and Liem Marie Nio. From birth, Ester was raised in a Protestant family and lived with her parents and siblings in Semarang, Central Java.
Ester felt God’s calling to work in His vineyard from a very young age. Although she came from a Protestant family, every morning she prayed for the blessing to serve God, and in 1972, she responded to that call by becoming an aspirant and assisting at the Budi Rahayu General Hospital.
While helping at Budi Rahayu General Hospital, Ester witnessed God’s goodness through the inspiring example of the Sisters of Notre Dame. Her desire to join the SNDs grew stronger each day.
Ester continued to nurture her vocation with great devotion and deep awareness as she went through her formation process. In all things she strove to grow faithfully as a Sister of Nore Dame. On January 30 1975, her Investment Day, she received the name Sister Maria Ester, the name given to her by her parents. And on February 5, 1977, she professed her first vows.
In her personal notes Sister Ester wrote that on September 17, 2010, she was inspired by a reflection on Luke 8:1-3, which she recognized as a sign of God’s providential care. Through this reflection, she came to realize anew that she had been called to become a Sister of Notre Dame, willing to leave behind her family and possessions. She understood that this would mean moving from one community to another, proclaiming God’s love and goodness tirelessly. She lived out this call with total fidelity and confidence that God’s guiding hand was with her.
In her daily life, Sr. Ester was known among the sisters as a faithful, prayerful, awe-inspiring, humble, humorous, disciplined, hard-working, and responsible person. Mother Mary became the foundation of her life and a model which continually inspired her to be faithful and obedient through her ministries. Throughout her life, she served at various institutions, including Budi Rahayu General Hospital in Pekalongan, Panti Bahagia Health Care in Rembang, St. Rafael Community in Tawangmangu, St. Julie Heatlh Center in Sukorejo, St. Michael Major Seminary in Kupang, and St. Augustin Community in Prubalingga. Sr. Ester spent her retirement years primarily as a prayer sister at Santa Bunda Maria community in Pekalongan.
In November 2025, her health began to decline. She received treatment at Budi Rahayu General Hospital and was referred to Saint Elisabeth Hospital in Semarang. On December 13, 2025, she returned home to our loving Father.
May Sister Maria Ester rest in the loving embrace of our good and merciful Father.
