Diocese: Mangalore
Pioneers: Sisters Lenita D’Souza, Lilia Rasquinha, Florine D’Souza, Sophia Dollin and Jyothi Pinto
The Ursuline Franciscan Congregation enjoys the patronage of two great women saints, namely, St Ursula and St Angela Merici. Their greatness consists in virtues of piety, fortitude, and philanthropy, coupled with a profound love for Christ they possessed. It can be asserted that these distinguishing merits have been a driving force to Mother Nympha Fernandez a third undeclared saint. She was a pioneer of the Company of St Ursula, the foundation of which had been laid at the rear of the Rosario Cathedral at Bolar, in which the Company was established. When a new structure was put up in the same campus in 2007 and named after her, one is reminded of her fortitude which she demonstrated by fostering and sustaining the little band that Fr Urban Stein SJ had formed in 1887 and left abandoned due to his untimely death in 1888; we also have reminiscences of her profound love for Christ, which she displayed by relinquishing the comforts of a wealthy home and choosing to reside at the newly established first house of the Company, i.e. St Ursula Convent.
The name and memories of this great person, Mother Nympha Fernandez, have been certainly perpetuated through Nympha Sadan, a home for the aged established at the St Ursula Convent campus in Bolar. The building was put up behind the Ursula Convent at a distance of twenty feet; the plot along with a tile roofed house belonging to Mr Dolphy Rosario was purchased on July 31, 1995. Prior to the erection of the building, the existing house was renovated and utilized for student candidates of Mangalore Province. In 1996, a Play School was started in the house.
The plot has been certainly waiting for a divinely predetermined objective, which was uncovered and implemented with assistance from Don Francesco Saverio Bazzoffi and his Associates from Italy. We see the divine intervention because administering a Home for the Aged has never been a recognized apostolate of the Congregation and one would least expect a donor to come forward and facilitate such a scheme. Don Francesco Saverio Bazzoffi laid the foundation of the building on January 28, 2006. Sr Jeraldine D’Souza, Councillor General, supervised the construction When the house was ready it started admitting the residents. The first resident admitted was Mr Joseph Albuquerque. The informal blessing of the house was done on May 31, 2007 by Fr Stany Goveas, parish priest of Rosario Catherdral. It was formally blessed by Bishop Aloysius P D’Souza and inaugurated by Don Francesco on December 6, 2007. Thus the Nympha Sadan was born. Forthwith it was handed over to the Mangalore Province by Sr Doreen D’Souza, Superior General.
Nympha Sadan aims at accomplishing a twofold objective, namely procuring economic stability to the Mangalore Province, and providing a ‘habitat’ for the elite senior citizens of Mangalore. To design and implement this object, Sr Lenita D’Souza was appointed as animator of the community and administrator of the institute. She has been skilled in the area of apostolate in Italy for seven years. Sr Lilia Rasquinha, Sr Florine D’Souza, Sr Sophia Dollin, and Sr Jyothi Pinto joined the pioneering band. At Sr Lenita’s being elected Provincial Superior of the Mangalore Province in January 2010, Sr Hilda Albuquerque took over the charge. Sisters Benny Correa, Violet Sequiera, Anitha Antony, Meena Monica, Venisha Mendonca, Smitha Priya D’Souza, Sandra L Rodrigues and Saritha Ashwini D’Souza have assisted her in the course of years. The Centenary celebration of the death of Mother Nympha was celebrated at Nympha Sadan on February 24, 2009.
Nympha Sadan consists of 24 rooms for senior citizens. The house is full always, with a number of persons being on the waiting list. Being true to the object of the institute, its residents are accompanied physically, spiritually, morally, and emotionally by Sister nurses and counsellors from within, doctors and priests from outside the house. They are also trained in yogasanas. A spacious chapel and a recreation hall of the house are places to pray, to share, and to care for one another. Accompanying these senior citizens in their loneliness, old age, and illness is a challenging task, yet adorable when rendered in a right spirit. Yet the Sisters succeed in brining lasting joy in the lives of the elderly under their care at Nympha Sadan. Through their loving service to the elderly Mother Nympha’s name is being perpetuated.
