A loving tribute to dear Sr. Suchita Chamakalayil CJ

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” – Ps 116: 15

Dear Sr. Suchita,
You never said I’m leaving,
You never said goodbye.
You were gone before we knew it,
It broke our hearts to lose you!!!

Sr. Suchita was born in 1959 to Mr. Joseph and Mrs. Aleyamma Chamakalayil in Padinjattinkara, Kerala. She was the eldest of the 8 children - 4 brothers and 4 sisters. Answering the divine call she joined the Congregation in 1980. She made her first commitment in 1985 and final commitment in 1992. During her juniorate she completed her General Nursing from Jamshedpur. Thereafter she served as a nurse in Meja, Jeolikote, Allahabad 21, Habri and Mauranipur. Sr. Suchita was also the animator of Maria Bhawan, Mauranipur. It was during her tenure as the animator of the school community that her CALL came and she promptly said a loving ‘YES’ to her Master.

During the past 38 years of her religious life in the CJ family, Suchita lived her life with much dedication and commitment. She was a woman of few words but her actions always conveyed a loving message to the people around her and to the persons who were associated with her. She was very gentle in her approach with the patients whom she cared for. She had a soft and compassionate corner for the less privileged ones of the society. She, as a spiritual and prayerful religious cherished and lived her vocation with love and generosity. She had a good habit of reading newspaper, magazines and other books. Her interest in reading and studying books on Mary Ward/ St. Ignatius/Encyclicals was visible whenever the province conducted any common quiz or sharing; Suchita was one of those who did wonderfully well.

Sr. Suchita was a simple, caring, affectionate and a hardworking person. She loved each and every member of the community deeply, trusted them and gave them space to grow into beautiful persons. She was a genuine religious and was faithful to her spiritual duties. She cared for the spiritual life of her community as well. Whether health or sickness, she accepted it all from the hands of the Lord cheerfully. Never a word of complaint escaped her lips.

In the third week of April the whole community was hit by corona virus. In spite of being sick, she gave nursing care to those who needed it the most. Meanwhile her health was deteriorating. On 28 April, she was taken to the Hospital Community for better care and nursing. The following day, i.e., 29 April, seeing her in a serious condition, Sr. Julita rushed her to St. Jude’s Hospital, Jhansi by our ambulance. As the doctor could not do anything, she was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital, Ghaziabad accompanied by Srs. Julita and Maria Rose. Before reaching Agra, she went to her Creator at 6 p.m., shattering us and immersing us in great sorrow and uncertainty.

Her body was brought directly to the cemetery at Premnagar, Jhansi. Rev. Fr. Joe Mendonca blessed the body and the grave and strictly following the covid protocol, she was buried by 10 p.m. in the presence of few of our dear sisters from all the four communities of Jhansi and Mauranipur.

Dear Sr. Suchita, we miss you very badly. We cherish the memories you left behind. Life is not the same without you. Good bye until we meet again in our real HOME.

From your loving sisters
Srs. Geetika, Anima and Divya
St. Mary’s Convent, Mauranipur

A TRIBUTE OF LOVE TO SR. REGIS Kanjamala C.J.

Well done good and faithful servant,
You have been faithful over a little,
I’ll set you over much;
Enter into the joy of your Master.” (Mt. 25: 23)

7th May 2021 was the most heart-breaking day for all of us. We could not say good- bye nor could we be there to hold your hand. Sweet are the memories we hold of you. We loved you dearly but could not save you. You tried to stay with us, but the fight was in vain. No words can tell the sorrow and the sense of loss we feel.

Sr. Regis was a loving and caring, kind and compassionate, hard working, courageous and committed person. Her life was one of unceasing service and sacrifice. She worked on day after day seeking opportunities to serve, refusing to slow down even though age and ailments were weighing heavily on her. Nobody could beat her in her devotion to duty. She was a lover of nature and tried to plant as many trees as possible in the compound. Every plant, every tree and every flower bears witness to it. If the school looks clean and beautiful, the credit goes to her. Behind the grand PT Displays and successful Annual Days, the hand of Sr. Regis was there. She was a friendly and sociable person and mixed freely with all. She loved all, but had special love for the poor and co-workers. She was kind and considerate and yet firm with them and would visit their families whenever possible.

Besides being the house supervisor, she also looked after the parish church for a few years. In her tenure as sacristan, the Sacred Heart Church shone beautifully. The altar was always tastefully decorated, and the church was kept neat and clean.

She was a true religious, would, if possible never miss a Holy Mass. She was very faithful to her spiritual duties. After the day’s hard work, she would sit down quietly before the Blessed Sacrament and pray. That gave her the strength to live a life of commitment. After her prayer, as a routine she would devote some time to reading especially the Hindi News paper. She loved reading Catholic magazines like the Examiner, New Leader, Indian Currents, The Magnet etc. She loved, respected and held the Bishop and the Priests in high esteem. She would leave no stones unturned in helping them. They too loved and appreciated her in turn. She found delight in visiting churches and religious Institutions especially the mission stations. She was happy to share with them whatever she had.

Sr. Regis was born on 31st July in 1943 in Pala/Kerala to Mr. Joseph and Mrs. Mary Kanjamala. She was the youngest child of her parents. After her schooling she decided to dedicate herself to the service of the Lord and his people. Hence she joined the Congregation in 1967 and made her first profession in 1969 and final commitment in 1976. She had served many Institutions such as Nainital, Shahpur, Jeolikote, Allahabad 32. Out of the 54 years of her religious life, 28 years were spent in Jhansi – 10 years in Nirmala convent, and the rest in St. Francis’ convent.

In the last week of April, after getting tested positive for Covid, Sr. Regis was admitted in St. Jude’s hospital on 23rd April and thereafter shifted to St. Joseph’s hospital Ghaziabad for better medical treatment. Initially she responded to medicine and showed remarkable improvement and we rejoiced and waited for her safe return. But that was not to be. All of a sudden she became critically ill and the doctors could do nothing to save her because her time had come. On 7th May at 3.30 pm she flew to her Heavenly Father for her eternal reward leaving us in terrible shock and deep sorrow.

On 8th May at 6.30 a.m. her mortal remains were brought in a sealed coffin directly to the cantonment cemetery and was laid to rest following the protocol of Covid -19. Fr. Sahayanathan, the Vicar General of the Diocese and Fr. Vianney, our chaplain were there to bless the grave and do the needful.

Dear Sr. Regis, we know that you are in heaven with your Creator and Lord. The beautiful memories you have left behind will always be a source of strength for us. All we ask of you is to remember us as loving you. Rest in Peace.

With love, prayer and appreciation
Your loving sisters at SFC
Sr. Pratima and community

A LOVING TRIBUTE TO SR. JESSY Ponnamvarikayil. C.J.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, The righteous judge will give me on that day.” (2. Tim. 4: 7 – 8)

Yes, Jessy, you have finished the race with an amazing speed and have entered into the glory of God, the Lord whom you loved dearly and served passionately. We salute you for it.

As we celebrate the life of Sr. Jessy, we give thanks for her immeasurable contribution to the Province and to the various Institutions where she worked. We thank you dear Sr. Jessy for:

The love you gave,
The joy you radiated,
The concern you showed towards the weak and the needy,
The encouragement you gave to one and all.

We thank you dear, for your vibrant and principled life, for your endearing smile which revived many a drooping spirit, for your sense of commitment and devotion to duty. We say a warm THANK YOU to you for what you were to us and for what you have done for our dear St. Francis’ Convent. May the good Lord bless and keep you in His loving care.

Sr. Jessy was born on 23rd May 1967 to Mr. Francis and Mrs. Alamma Ponnamvarikayil. She was the eldest of four children. She joined the congregation in 1987 and made her first profession on 2.2.1989. In 1992 she completed her teacher’s training and was missioned to Puranpur as a teacher; from there to St. Mary’s Kanpur in 1995 from where she completed her higher studies. She made her final commitment to the Lord on 2.2.1996 and was transferred to St. Francis’ Convent, Jhansi as primary school in charge.

During the 34 years of her dedicated life in our Congregation she has served in various houses like Lucknow as Vice-Principal and teacher, Sambhal as Animator and Principal, Puranpur as teacher and Animator of the community. For the past six years she has given her love and energy in serving the people of Jhansi as a teacher and Principal of St. Francis’ Convent Inter College. By sheer hard work and determination, she made SFC one of the best schools of Jhansi. Though a strict disciplinarian she was loved, respected, appreciated and admired by the staff and students alike. To be with the little ones was her delight. Reading was her hobby. Whenever she got time she was seen lost in books. Sr. Jessy loved and trusted our Blessed Mother. However busy she might have been, she would pray the rosary at 6.00 p.m. walking in the school premises. She was in the provincial team since 2019.

On 19th April, Sr. Jessy went to bed early with mild cold and the next day she was tested positive for Covid. On 23rd night she was admitted in St. Jude’s hospital, Jhansi. Since she was not showing any improvement, she was shifted to St. Joseph’s hospital, Ghaziabad, on 28th April, as advised by the hospital administration. Initially she showed some improvement giving us a ray of hope and consolation. But to everyone’s dismay, all of a sudden her condition became serious on 5th May. The doctors did their level best to save her life. But God’s plan for her was different! On 6th at 1.25 a.m. she had a cardiac arrest and left for her heavenly abode. It was indeed a great shock for all of us who never expected her to go Home so quickly.

Her mortal remains were brought in a sealed coffin to the Cantonment Cemetery, Jhansi. The last rites were performed by Fr. Sahayanathan, the VG and Fr. Vianney, our chaplain in the presence of Sr. Elsy our provincial, a few of our sisters and well wishers.

Sr. Jessy, in life we loved you dearly,
In death we love you still,
In our hearts you hold a place,
No one could ever fill.

With love, prayer and appreciation

Your loving sisters at SFC
Sr. Pratima and community

OBITUARY OF SR. RINALDA ALAPPADEN CHACKERY CJ
29.01.1944 - 17.01.2021

In Ever Loving Memory

“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” Rom: 14:8

Sr. Rinalda was battling with cancer since 2018 and was brought to Allahabad on 26th December 2020. On the first of January 2021 sister underwent an unavoidable surgery under the supervision of Dr. Paul Thaliath at Kamala Nehru Hospital. Doctors realized that there was nothing much that they could do to help her. It was not easy for her to accept the reality. However, her characteristic cheerfulness kindled hope in all who visited her. She experienced the closeness of the Lord even more as she moved through her painful journey.

The end came quite unexpected. On 16th January as usual the sisters wished her goodnight little realizing that would be her last night. On 17th January, 2021 around 1.00 a.m. she began struggling for breath and her gaze was fixed as if heavenwards. Sensing the seriousness of her condition she was given the Anointing of the Sick and Holy Communion. At 3.20 a.m. while all the sisters were praying around her, she quietly slipped into eternity at St. Mary’s 21, where she had spent many years.

Sr. Rinalda was born on 29th January, 1944 in a devout Catholic family at Moorkanad, Trissur District in Kerala, to her beloved parents late Mr. Francis Alappadan Chackery and Mrs. Annamma. Philomena as she was called at home had a very happy childhood in the company of her two brothers and six sisters. Sr. Rinalda was the youngest of the siblings and was loved by everyone. Among the seven girls, four answered the call to Religious life. After completing her High School studies, Sr. Rinalda along with her elder sister Rosina joined the CJ family on 29th June, 1962 at Allahabad, she entered the Novitiate in 1964, made her 1st profession on 2nd Feb. 1966 and the final commitment on 1st Feb. 1972. Sr. Rosina was called to eternity on 9th November 2002.

Sr. Rinalda was an ardent lover of Jesus and a true missionary who willingly rendered her services as superior of the community, dietician and social worker. She was a pioneer of the School for differently abled children in Varanasi and our mission in Falna, Rajasthan. She had a heart for the disadvantaged. Sister used to walk into the slums of Falna and teach children with great impact. Her action opened the eyes of the local politicians who later arranged for the education of the same children. St. Mary’s Convent 21 & 32 Allahabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Shapur, Sikendra, Patna, Meja, Asha Niketen Varanasi, Chunar, Jeolikote, Falna and the Provincial House in Delhi have been her mission fields. From Delhi she was missioned to Jeolikote, her last community.

Affection, gentleness, simplicity, kindness, cheerfulness, sense of humour, warm hospitality, personal care, spiritual energy - these and more such qualities endeared her to her companions in communities, collaborators in mission and made her an efficacious instrument in God’s hands for His mission.

Any person could easily forget the cares of life while being in the company of Sr. Rinalda. Her exemplary life is an inspiration for all of us. We greatly appreciate the humanness with which she dealt with everyone and reached out to all those who needed help. Her source of strength was Jesus in whom she trusted without reserve. Her patient endurance of physical pain was truly edifying. She lovingly accepted her illness and never ever a word of complaint escaped her lips. She is a shining example of peace and self-surrender.

Sr. Rinalda was grateful to all those who took care of her and visited her. Her personal life story was enveloped with God’s providential care, unshakable faith, generous love and tremendous hope. She was indeed a cheerful giver as a true daughter of Venerable Mother Mary Ward who always radiated a profound joy.

Throughout her life our beloved Sr. Rinalda lived with courage and walked by faith. We are sure that from heaven she will continue to intercede for all her loved ones, for her Congregation and for all those who were associated with her. We were blessed to learn many valuable lessons from her life. Her 57 years as a religious was inspiring. We catch a glimpse of her religious witness from the condolence message of Bp. Emeritus Ignatius Menezes of Ajmer diocese, Rajasthan, “She was one of those beautiful nuns who walked on the path of our Lord and consequently was a sign of edification as a Religious.”

Her new mission now has taken her to a wonderful place where she will be eternally enjoying the company of those CJ friends especially her own Sister Rosina.

Goodbye dear Sr. Rinalda till we meet again.

A Loving Tribute to Sr. Augustine C J

“We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s (Rom.14:7-8). These beautiful words speak volumes about our dear Sr. Augustine, who just walked into the open arms of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, on 13thJanuary 2021, soon after attending the Holy Mass.

The whole Community, our Parish Priest, Fr. Uday and Bishop Emeritus Isidore were present in the refectory when our beloved Sr. Augustine collapsed. She breathed her last so quietly and peacefully in the arms of Fr. Uday, Sr. Sheeba and Sr. Kanula, leaving all of us shocked. We are reminded of the words of Venerable Mother Mary Ward “Do your best and God will help.” Indeed Sr. Augustine’s long life had been an epitome of these inspiring words. Sister was very simple, genuine and well disciplined, hardworking and prayerful. Her love and concern for all and specially the disadvantaged was outstanding. Punctual as she was in all things, her end too came as if ‘I should be on time’.

Sr. Augustine (baptismal name, Anna) was born in Kerala, Pala on 2nd May 1932 in a God fearing and staunch Catholic family. Her parents were late Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Mariamma. She grew up with her only brother, four sisters and a niece. She was the 2nd among the siblings. Her father having been a teacher brought up the children under strict discipline. Her mother was a pious lady who encouraged the children from their early childhood to attend daily Mass. Their good upbringing in the family paved the way for five vocations to religious life: three to the CJ family and one sister and the niece to the Carmelite order.

In 1950, the first batch of girls joined the IBMV Congregation from Kerala and Sr. Augustine was one of them. Her enthusiasm to be a missionary brought her to Patna at a very young age. She made her first profession on 14th April 1953. Soon after her first profession, she was sent to Bettiah to complete her studies. Her teaching carrier began at St. Joseph’s Hindi Medium School, Patna. Within a year, she was entrusted with the responsibility of starting a new Hindi medium school at Kurji, Patna. She joyfully rendered her services in various capacities as teacher, principal and superior. Her mission field included Kathmandu, Jhansi, Gulini, Shapur, Rajapur, Kanudhi and Nainital. However, her longest service was in Jeolikote – 35 years.

Sr. Augustine shared the poverty and hard life of the people of Jeolikote. She spent her life for their upliftment and gave great support in educating the girls and providing them with opportunities to secure good careers. She put her heart and soul into obtaining permission to upgrade St. Anthony’s School Jeolikote and to get recognition for High School Board Examination. Many people of Jeolikote and the Catholics of UP and Uttarakhand remember her with gratitude. Past pupils often came to meet her. They always expressed their appreciation and gratitude for all that Sr. Augustine had done for them.

Sr. Augustine’s love for the orphans under her care was remarkable. She made all possible efforts to educate them, to get them good jobs and to get them married. She daily prayed for them by taking their names. She enquired about their welfare regularly and was highly delighted to invite them to spend a few days at St. Anthony’s. All those brought up under her motherly care will surely receive her help as a powerful intercessor in heaven.

The Secret of her fruitful life was her daily prayer. She had deep faith and unshakable trust in God. She was an early riser who faithfully spent quality time before the Holy Mass in personal prayer. During the last years of her life, one could see her moving the rosary beads as she moved about in the campus. She had great love and respect for priests. Sister loved meeting people and took interest in the daily school and community activities. By reading the newspaper faithfully she kept herself well informed of the current events.

Let us thank God for the beautiful, exemplary and holy life of Sr. Augustine. We miss her presence and we know that she is praying for each one of us and for the people of Jeolikote. We have one more powerful intercessor in heaven in the person of our dear Sr. Augustine.

From the moment of her death until she was laid to rest, she received continuous prayers. Many, especially the people of Jeolikote came to pay their last respects. She was privileged to have three Bishops and eleven priests celebrating her farewell Mass. The final farewell scene was solemn, very touching filled with gratitude and love. She looked very peaceful as if already enjoying the heavenly bliss.

We are grateful to each one of you for your messages, physical and spiritual presence as we bade good-bye to Sr. Augustine. We are all united in the Lord in praising and thanking Him for the precious gift of our dear Sister. She will live on in our midst reminding us to be “wholly God’s” and to fulfil our mission faithfully giving glory to God as diligent followers of Mary Ward.

All of us cherish the precious memories of our dear Sr. Augustine. Her loving presence will remain with us.

Dear Sr. Augustine, we are really blessed to have you intercede for us. You keep walking with us as a faithful companion of Mary Ward.

Good bye dear Sr. Augustine!

From Your Loving Sisters,
St. Anthony’s convent,
Jeolikote.

A Tribute of Love to Sr. Louisa Thuruthiyil CJ (16.04.1932-11.09.2018)

“The Gift of God is Eternal Life Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.”
Romans, 6:23.

“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead others to righteousness shall shine like stars forever and ever.” Sr. Louisa’s response to the above words from the book of Daniel (12:3), depicting her own life would be, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.” Indeed, she lived singing of the goodness of her Lord and Master until she passed into Eternity quietly and peacefully.

Having sung the praises of the Lord, literally and figuratively for 86 years, Sr. Louisa passed into the eternal abode of Love on 11th September, 2018. Sr. Louisa was born on 16th April, 1932, at Vallichira near Pala, Kerala, of Mary and Mathew Kuriakose, Thuruthiyil. The youngest of seven children, she was baptized as Elizabeth. She grew up in a very devout Catholic family, and little Elizabeth was noted for her gentleness, her piety, her love for Jesus and Mother Mary. As she grew older her great devotion to the Holy Eucharist marked her life and it is amazing that all through her life, even when she was very ill she made it a point to attend Holy Mass daily, a grace God gave to her even till the previous day of her death. It was amazing that even at her last Mass she knelt for the entire time of Consecration in spite of extreme pain on her bruised legs, a practice she adhered to all her life, a sure testimony of her deep devotion and love for the Eucharistic Lord. No pain was too much for her to get ready and walk to the Chapel. Sr. Louisa was blessed with the gift of music and she worked hard as a young religious to teach herself to play the piano besides her regular duties, so that she could help others to sing and praise the Lord. Even on 9th September, two days before her death, her musical voice rang out at Mass still loud and clear. Such was her inner life of prayer and faith.

She was educated in St Mary’s School, Pala, an Institution that fostered many vocations for the mission. Little Elizabeth had nurtured her desire to give herself completely to the Lord and entered the Congregation of Jesus (then known as the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary). It was indeed a very daring act of trust and courage on the part of Elizabeth to join a foreign Congregation in far away Patna, as one of the First Batch of 8 young aspirants from Kerala in 1950, along with her cousin, Sr Augustine CJ.

Sr. Louisa made her First Profession at Patna on15.04.1953. Her first mission field was in our orphanage at Jeolikote, and served the children with great love. She made her Final Commitment to the Lord on14.04.1959 and was then missioned to St Joseph’s Convent, Patna. During the 65 years of her dedicated life in our Congregation, she has served in various Houses like Patna, Allahabad, Nirmala Convent Jhansi, St Mary’s Convent, Kathmandu, Nepal, Gulni in Bihar, Providence Clinic Pala, a centre for prayer, and finally Sr Louisa was missioned to St Francis’ Convent Jhansi in 1996. For the past 22 years she has given her love and energy in serving the people of Jhansi, as Catechism teacher in our School and Sacred Heart Parish, taking charge of the choir, putting in her best efforts in teaching and guiding the children and anyone in need of good counsel. For several years Sr. Louisa was in charge of our Mary Ward Evening School for the poor children and school dropouts and her encouragement and musical skills made them do well in studies.

For many years after teaching Catechism in the Sacred Heart Parish on Sundays, Sr. Louisa accompanied Rev. Fr Peter Parapullil, (now our beloved Bishop) to teach Catechism to the children of Judepur, a mission she loved. Preparing little children for the reception of the sacraments, especially for First Communion was her greatest delight. She taught little children to love Jesus.

Sr. Louisa suffered for many years from chronic asthma, but it did not prevent her from singing at Mass and teaching Catechism, thanks to her indomitable spirit and zeal in the service of the Lord. Sr. Louisa made it a point to be present for a special weekly Hour of Adoration at St Jude’s shrine, inclement weather or illness was no cause for her absence from this sacred tryst with her divine Master, interceding for all the priests and the Church and the world. Sr. Louisa nurtured a special reverence and love for all God’s priests and prayed for them daily considering it her special mission. She also prayed for her family and nurtured vocations to priesthood and religious life.

Sr. Louisa’s Last 24 hours on earth: On 9th September Sr. Louisa expressed her desire to make her confession to her spiritual director and confessor for the past 16 years, the present Bishop of Jhansi, Rt. Rev. Dr Peter Parapullil. He readily agreed to come to St Francis at 4.00 p.m. the next day. So in the morning of 10th September Sr Louisa had a “Royal Bath”, dressed herself in white habit and well before 4.00 p.m. with the assistance of Sr. Reena walked to the parlor to wait for the Bishop. She had also expressed the wish for anointing of the sick. So the Bishop heard her confession, and then gave her communion and anointing of the sick as she sat in the parlour along with the community. A short time after the Bishop left, Sr. Louisa vomited a bit of blood, and since it was already late in the evening she was taken to St Jude’s hospital for safety sake, little realizing that the countdown had begun before she would face her Lord and Master in person. As Sr. Amita watched over her, Sr. Louisa lay still, praying. A little before 2.00 p.m. Sr. Amita noticed Sr. Louisa’s fingers moving gently as though playing the harmonium, and a glorious smile spread over her face. In a few minutes she sensed that Sr. Louisa was very still indeed and so she called the Doctor who declared that Sr. Louisa’s soul had just taken wings without a flutter. She slept in the Lord whose presence at her moment of death made her smile.

It was indeed a shock for the community who never expected Sr Louisa to go Home so quickly. Yes, 24 Hours after her last encounter with the Eucharistic Lord in the parlour, her mortal remains were laid out in our Convent Chapel, with a radiant smile on her face. A True daughter of Mary Ward who