Diocese: Kolkata
Pioneers: Sisters Edwina Saldanha and Emercina Pereira
At the request of Archbishop Henry D’Souza of Kolkata Archdiocese and Fr John L Noronha, the Director of Seva Kendra, Kolkata, the Ursuline Franciscan Sisters opted to render their services at the Seva Kendra. Sisters Edwina Saldanha and Emercina were chosen for the task; they reached the place on June 1, 1990. Sr Edwina was appointed Assistant Director of Seva Kendra and Sr Emercina was given the charge of WEANE (Women’s Economic and Nutritional Enhancement) Project.
As the name Seva Kendra suggests, the Centre was to be at the service – of those in need. Accordingly, they ministered to the needy of every sort. Primarily they focused on training people: parish elders and village heads were trained at regional level on co-operative principles and saving schemes. People were conscientized on concerns such as health, environment, ecology and legal issues. The youth in particular were guided vocationally. Women were assisted to obtain self-sufficiency through Mahila Mandals (Women’s Guild) and programmes related to their development. In training people for employment and self-employment, the Sisters used group animation as the medium.
In carrying out their responsibilities, the Sisters used Seva Kendra as their base. After two months, they moved to a flat provided for them by the diocese; they named the new residence Shanthi Kiran. In 2002 the Sisters terminated their service at the Centre as they were requested by Archbishop Henry D’Souza to take up teaching at St John Berchmann School. The location is three kilometres south of Shanthi Kiran. However, until certain formalities had to be finalized with the existing religious congregation at the school, the Sisters rendered their services at St Francis Xavier Nursery School, Bowbazar. Sr Matilda Cutinha of North-East Mission assumed the task of instructing in the school; she taught for five months, from January to May in 1995.
In June 1995 the Sisters took up administration at St John Berchmann School with Sr Matilda Cutinha appointed head- teacher. She reorganized and systematized the functioning of the School. Meanwhile, the Generalate team deemed it more fitting to entrust the administration of the School to the North- East Mission; the chief reason for this recommendation was that the North-East Mission was equipped with personnel to spare for School while the North Region was still struggling to make ends meet. Besides, the Generalate found administering a mission from a distant place – Mangalore too arduous. To this effect, an agreement was signed between Sr Jeraldine, the Mission Superior of North-East Mission and Fr Vincent Lobo, the parish priest of St Teresa Parish, CIT. Sr Augustine D’Souza replaced Sr Matilda as head teacher in 1999.
Meanwhile, the North Region had begun to show signs of development: they had established the Shanthi Dham School at Guma. When viewed from the perspective of geographical distance, Kolkata is nearer to the State of Uttar Pradesh than it is to Nagaland, the administrative unit of North-East Province. Hence, the eleventh General Chapter (May 2004) decided to entrust the administration of the other two houses namely, Shanthi Kiran, CIT and Jyothi Kiran, Premnagar to the North Region. Sr Cymprose D’Almeida replaced Sr Celine Lobo of North-East Province with Sr Albina Kujur joining her.
St John Berchmann School currently has classes from kindergarten to class V with a number of 230 students on roll out of which 62 are Catholics. Most of the students belong to economically poor background; they live in slums. The Sisters render their services joyfully to the most needy.
As members of Fatima parish community, the Sisters involve themselves actively in the parish pastoral activities. They catechize the children and prepare them for receiving the sacraments; they also visit families regularly, pray in families, join BCC prayer meetings.
Ever since its inception Shanti Kiran has been a feasible and comfortable study house for candidates of North and North- East Province. Besides, it serves as a transit house for Sisters of the North-East Province during their travel to and from South India. Sisters residing at Shanti Kiran have the need of a broader vision to be able to flood the whole of Kolkata with ‘rays of peace’ for which a greater awareness of their mission is indispensable.
