I had an inspiration to dedicate my life to God. My family helped me to answer God’s call. My aunty, a religious was the model for me from my childhood. God chose’ M.E. Institue (Institute of the Foreign Missions Sisters)’ for me.
ME sisters are called to go where others don't go. I liked this aspect. Our charism is to go and live among the poor and non evangelized and proclaim the Good News.
I joined this Institute in June1988 and served for 10 years in different states in India. I worked in a kinder garden, gave tuitions to poor children, helped for the development of women and served sick people. Then I was sent to France in 2000 to render service in our Mother House as well as in the parishes. I like to work in a team to teach catechism and do youth animation.
Since 2006, I am working with the team called ‘Church’s Universal Mission’ (Missionary Cooperation) in the Diocese of Toulouse (France), especially with the children through ‘Holy Childhood Mission’. I also work with the Tamil and Sri Lankan communities at Toulouse to create contact and relationship among them. I was happy to prepare in 2 years 19 youth for their confirmation. I work with Catholic Relief in our Diocèse, to share morning breakfast to poor people.This is my mission in France.
I trust always in Him who called me ». I can feel that God is with me at every moment of my life, therefore I am happy in my religious life. For me to be a religious means to be a missionary, that is to love Jesus and to love others.
My mother used to call me with a pet name “Glory”. For her I am “her glory”. Then one day God called me to work for ‘His glory’. When I was in high school I got interested to become religious, but choosing a religious congregation is difficult. My mother was the biggest support for my vocation and she strengthened me by regular family prayer. It is God who chose ‘the Institute of Foreign Mission Sisters’ for me.
My religious formation in the novitiate taught me to meditate on the Gospel. On the whole, the formation was centered on the person of Jesus. Sr. Lily Marie was my Novice-Mistress. She used to tell us about our French sisters and their mission. This strengthened in me the missionary zeal.
Mangel and Roseline. Later on I was sent to do the Paramedical training after which I joined the health centre to take care of Lepers and Tuberculosis patients.
After my Final profession, I was sent to Indian Institute of Spirituality in Bangalore. Then I was chosen for a new mission in Hong Kong. It is a big challenge for me to leave my country and to go to an unknown place. As a preparation for this mission I was sent to our Mother House in France, Thereafter I was sent to Hong Kong mission in 2003 and since then I have been serving God and His holy Church in Hong Kong. I am happy and satisfied in my mission.
After 24 years of religious life, as I look back at my life, the predominant feeling that stands out is obviously a humble attitude of deep gratitude which spontaneously springs from the bottom of my heart to profoundly thank God for His providential love and care. Secondly, I joyfully thank my parents and my Institute ISME. I must say that my Institute has given me lots of opportunities in my religious and missionary life. It has been a wonderful opportunity for me to share God’s love with people here in Hong Kong. Learning Cantonese language which was altogether a new language for me and also adapting me to Chinese culture was really a challenging task.
When I visit the home for the aged, the home for the mentally-challenged, the sick, the prison etc., I am able to share God’s love with them. I am happy to tell that I am God’s instrument to give hope and love to these people. My father once told me that we are Zeros in the world, but when we are united with God we become the Heroes. I pray that I may continue to be a fitting instrument in the hands of God for the service and salvation of human beings.
This is what God wants of me in my life in Christ Jesus.
It was the time of preparation for my first holy communion; a time of intense prayers and intimacy with God. During those days, I felt that I want to become a religious, though I didn't know much about religious life. I thought that the religious are like angels, beautiful and peaceful and therefore I would sometimes cover my head with a veil and stand in front of the mirror imagining how I would look if I were a religious !!!
Finally on the day of my first Holy Communion, my feelings were very deep and strong. All these feelings were strengthened by the family rosary.
As years passed by, I grew increasingly in my catholic faith and devotion. I joined the choir group and I also became a reader in my home parish. One day I expressed my desire to become a religious to my parish priest.
This desire to become religious was developed in so many ways. One day, I told my parish priest to suggest me a religious congregation, and he directed me to the Institute of the Foreign Mission Sisters (ME Sisters).
I joined ISME in the year 1991 and I made my first profession in 1995. As a young professed, I was sent to Kavali community in Andhra Pradesh where I started my mission life and learnt to live my religious life in a fruitful way with the help of Sisters Madeleine Mangel and Roseline. Later on I was sent to do the Paramedical training after which I joined the health centre to take care of Lepers and Tuberculosis patients.
After my Final profession, I was sent to Indian Institute of Spirituality in Bangalore. Then I was chosen for a new mission in Hong Kong. It is a big challenge for me to leave my country and to go to an unknown place. As a preparation for this mission I was sent to our Mother House in France, Thereafter I was sent to Hong Kong mission in 2003 and since then I have been serving God and His holy Church in Hong Kong. I am happy and satisfied in my mission.
After 24 years of religious life, as I look back at my life, the predominant feeling that stands out is obviously a humble attitude of deep gratitude which spontaneously springs from the bottom of my heart to profoundly thank God for His providential love and care. Secondly, I joyfully thank my parents and my Institute ISME. I must say that my Institute has given me lots of opportunities in my religious and missionary life. It has been a wonderful opportunity for me to share God’s love with people here in Hong Kong. Learning Cantonese language which was altogether a new language for me and also adapting me to Chinese culture was really a challenging task.
When I visit the home for the aged, the home for the mentally-challenged, the sick, the prison etc., I am able to share God’s love with them. I am happy to tell that I am God’s instrument to give hope and love to these people. My father once told me that we are Zeros in the world, but when we are united with God we become the Heroes. I pray that I may continue to be a fitting instrument in the hands of God for the service and salvation of human beings.
My Vocation is a gift of God, an invitation for a closer relationship with Him. The calling to become a religious is a privilege. I am happy to get that clarity about my vocation. I never went to the Convent Schools for my studies. But my grandparents and my parents encouraged me to go for prayer and take part in the Holy Eucharist. In the family, every day we pray Rosary together. It made me to have faith in Christ Jesus. It attracted me towards religious life. So I am very grateful to God for He has called me and chosen the ‘Institute of the Foreign Missions Sisters for me’. Since God has called many other sisters to this Institute, I consider this institute as my religious family so as to live and love it.
He called me to be a living sign of his love for the world ». God doesn’t need my qualifications but me with my characters, be it good or bad, and my existing personality. Now when I read the Bible, or listen to the Word of God in the Holy Mass, a phrase that strike me, moves me to face challenges in my life and work for the glory of God. Though God may not speak to me in person, He does it through the words of the Bible, or through a sermon or a conference. So I am very happy in my vocation and I will give the best of my service to God.
My present mission is in a leprosarium. I look after the accounts of the hospital; but it gives me opportunities to meet patients as well as co-workers: doctors, nurses, paramedical workers and others.
Jesus said “You did not choose me, but I chose you!” (Jn 15:16) I have studied in my village in a Catholic school run by the Sisters of St. Anne's Trichy. Daily we were having catechism classes, a sister by name Madeleine taught us that God loves each one of us so dearly, so we have to prepare our heart to welcome him, and make confession regularly. She was very pious, regular for Mass. She used to visit houses. She was the role model in my life.
Moreover my three aunties are religious. I go along with them for the Eucharistic celebrations, and we pray at home when they come home for holidays. Another custom in my village inspired my vocation: Every year at Easter festival, passion and resurrection of Jesus was enacted. God was calling me from my childhood. I wanted to follow Jesus Christ and to serve the people. In my native place there are many vacations for different congregations. Some girls joined the ME congregation. I was attracted by the simplicity of this congregation.
I joined the novitiate at Chennai to get my religious formation in the Institute of the Foreign Missions Sisters. I made my first profession in 1993. Then I was sent to nursing school. After finishing my studies I was called to render service in the hospitals in towns as well as in mobile clinics in the villages. According to the needs we ME sisters are sent anywhere, In Andhra Pradesh, at Tallapallem we have a small dispensary and a orphanage for the Aid’s children. I worked there, mainly in mobile clinics and in the dispensary. I have experienced in the health field that I was chosen to reduce sufferings of the sick.
I am happy in my religious life to fulfil the wish of Jesus who would tell me one day “I was sick and you took care of me” (Mt 25:36).
In my childhood, my family faced many difficulties. But these difficulties made us to experience the love of God and His divine providence. He has done many wonders to me and to my family. One day I was inspired by this sentence: ¨The blood of martyrs is seed of faith¨. It helped me to search my vocation.
The religious sisters of our parish showed us one day a film on the life of martyrs and saints. It helped me to know the hard life of missionaries. It challenged me to dedicate my life to Jesus.
One day a ME sister came to my school and spoke about her congregation and their mission. I was attracted by their charism and their life style. And she added that there are many missionaries died as martyrs in the mission countries. So a call of God is to become missionary and to proclaim the love of Jesus for the humanity.
After my studies I joined the novitiate at Chennai in ME congregation. I was very much impressed by the life and death of our sisters Cathy and Léonie who suffered and were tortured for the sake of Christ and for His love for poor in Argentina. It helped me to develop my missionary zeal. After my profession and higher studies, I was appointed to Mysore community. There I was teaching in a school among non christians. Children were socially and economically poor. I called them to our convent to get some extra coaching. I taught them also some games. Now I am sent to our Mother House at Toulouse in France to render pastoral service in the parish and in the Mother House. I am so happy and proud of my congregation. I find the strength in Christ who is always with me.
Jesus said, ‘’you did not choose me, I have chosen you’’. I strongly believe that He has chosen me to do His will. My vocation is a precious gift from God. I could say that from childhood God has prepared me to become His bride. In my childhood I used to involve myself in the church activities. I like to help the poor and needy. I joined the ‘Youth Legion of Mary’ in my parish. I often went with my mother to visit hospitals, old age homes, prisoners, orphanage etc. It is due to my parents that the spirit of serving others and the christian faith rooted in me and made me to become a nun .
Though I studied in Hindu’s management school I used go to our convent for tuition. I was very much impressed by the simple and dedicated life of our sisters. I was thinking always that all the sisters are like angels. I have the habit of reading the life of saints and missionaries, above all I read the word of God which inspires me and guides me in the day today life. All these things made me to dedicate my life to Jesus Christ who is my shepherd and saviour. As I am in the medical field, I am very happy to do the service of the poor and the needy especially the leprosy patients. In the future I would also like to do Jesus’ healing ministry.
In the formation period God molded me and prepared me through the formators to be sent for His service. I also heard the mission experience of our sisters who work in the remote villages, which encouraged me to accept my mission. After my first profession I was sent to Andhra Pradesh. I had an opportunity to work for the HIV-AIDS affected people and the marginalized ones. Later on I had chance to do the nursing. I could see God’s presence in the sick people. After completing my studies I was sent to Rawttakuppam to serve the leprosy patients. Here I get different types of experiences. I can see God’s providence in the moments of difficulties. I am happy to be an instrument of God in the service of the sick.
We are seven children in our family and I am the fourth one.
Four of us decided to dedicate ourselves fully to the Lord and therefore became religious sisters. Two of us joined the cloistered convent: ‘Great Carmel and St. Clare’s Adoration Monastery’. One joined the Salesian congregation and I am the fourth one to become a ME Sister.
From a very early age, the seed of vocation was sown in our family. Almost every week without fail, we used to participate in the Holy Eucharist but for other pious activities such as to pray the novena or the rosary we used to go to our church which was a sub-station. When we were unable to go to the church, my parents made sure that we fulfilled pious obligations at home. During our school days we used to be the active members in the Legion of Mary in our parish. Sometimes at home one of us read loudly the life of saints like St. Theresa of child Jesus, St. Francis Assisi etc while the others in the family listened to it.
My aunty Sr. Anthony Mary who is also a ME Sister was instrumental in realizing my desire to become a ME sister. Around the age of 11 onwards, I prayed every day to Mother Mary to helpe me to materialize my desire to become a religious sister although at that time I had no idea of what religious life meant.
When I entered into religious life through ME congregation, I began to understand how precious my vocation was, is and will be. Added to that I came to realize how effectively I can serve the Lord using all my God-given talents and energy.
Today, I am very happy, content and grateful to our congregation. It has an apostolic and missionary aim. It’s members share the life of the non-evangelized and the most under privileged, to announce the Good News to those who are very far from Christ and the Church. Having been strongly rooted in such missionary zeal, I have been sent by my congregation to Hong Kong.
Having learned the local language and culture for the past two years, I feel confident now to serve the people of God by rendering service in a parish.
