sr Susheela Maria

 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me on that day” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Yes, our beloved Sr Susheela Maria after fighting a good fight with terminal illness for Christ sake with unshaken faith, surrendered her feeble self at the feet of the Lord on Thursday, 2^nd March at 4.30 p.m. in the presence of the Sisters of Holy Rosary Convent while they were reciting with devotion the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, a prayer which she loved much.   A saintly soul has flown to heaven leaving all of us in grief. We truly believe she has joined her beloved Lord to enjoy the eternal bliss forever.

She was like an angel on this earth; a very special person with her values and talents. In her life we have found umpteen proofs of her deep faith in Jesus Christ. She served as a teacher, formator and the animator of the community and in all these responsibilities she has been a role model to others through her dedicated service, availability, accessibility, gentle ways of dealings, patience and above all prayerful spirit.

Sr Susheela Maria was born in a traditional Hindu family of late Mr Manjunath Kharvi and late Mrs. Manju Kharvi on 15^th June 1973 at Gangolli. She was the youngest child among the five - three brothers and one sister. She did her primary schooling at St Joseph’s School and High School at Stella Maris Girls’ High School, Gangolli.  After completing PUC from V.S. Junior College, Gangolli, she completed Secretariat Course at Vijayamari Technical Institute, Mary Hill, Mangalore.  During the time of her studies, she came in contact with many Catholic girls studying at Mary Hill.  She went to North India with some of them to work. She worked in different schools as an office staff. She was much appreciated for her sincerity, availability, gentle dealings and faithfulness. She did her graduation from Kumaun University, Uttarakhand and B.Ed from Salesian College, Nagaland and thereafter served as a teacher.

A True Christian:  Having done most of her studies in Christian Institutions religious Sisters, her friends and especially her teacher late Ms Mary left a lasting impression on her. She began to appreciate Christianity and she developed a desire to become a Christian and a nun. In fact, she used to narrate how from her childhood she was drawn to Jesus and loved to visit the church in her native place. Along with her companions she used to clean the church and kneel along with them before the altar not knowing how to pray.  She nostalgically remembered in the later years that she prayed to Jesus to help her to pray like her companions. God saw her genuine desire and answered her innocent prayer.   As she was working in Bareilly Diocese, she came in contact with priests, religious and friends and came to know more about Jesus. She expressed her deepest desire to become a Christian. Fr Rudolf  Rodrigues having realized the genuineness of her yearning baptized her in the year 2000; from then on she was holding on to Jesus.  She loved Christ so intimately that she sacrificed her family and all her comforts and embraced Christianity and answered the call to follow Jesus and remained very faithful till the last breath of her life. In the midst of the opposition and bitterness of her family she stood firm in her decision.  She remembered now and then the day of her Baptism with such relish that it evoked in her a sincere love for her Lord.

Faithful Religious – As she was working as an office staff at Assisi School, Baheri, she was inspired to become a religious, so she joined the Ursuline Franciscan Congregation on 17^th June 2002. After going through all the stages of formation she made her Temporary Profession on April 22^nd 2006 at Jeevan Dhara Provincialate,  Lucknow.  After few years of experience in the community as well as in the apostolate she made her Perpetual Profession on 26^th April 2012 at Holy Rosary Convent, Mangalore. She has served at Shanthi Dham Convent, Guma, St Angela’s Convent, Bangarmau, Hartmann Convent, Bareilly and Fatima Convent, Tajopur. She was Candidate Directress for one year and the animator of the community for 3 years.  As a religious she lived very faithful life. Community members, friends, students, teachers and well-wishers remember her for her gentle presence, soft voice and simplicity and prayerfulness.      

Loving friend and companion – She had a large heart with which she would love her Sisters, friends and well-wishers. She was in touch with them till the end of her life. All those who came in contact with her in North and South will all agree that she was an extraordinary person. Even in her sickness and suffering she would enquire about others’ health and problems and she would extend her love and concern for others. Indeed a person full of love, kindness and compassion!

Lover of the Word of God – The word of God was the strength of Sr Susheela Maria.  Reading, praying and contemplating the word of God was a daily and lively routine of her spiritual life. It appeared as though she took delight in it and made it a spiritual hobby.  She took pleasure in learning by heart the Bible verses.  In spite of her illness, on the days she was able to move about it was inspiring to see her with the Bible seated in Padmasana in the Chapel.  A few months ago when she came to know that some religious centre in Delhi was conducting Quiz on the New Testament the fiery desire in her heart was lit alive and she enlisted herself to answer the quiz though she knew that it was going to be tough due to deteriorating health. Her one prayer was that she might live until the final round of the quiz. Yes she did it when she was going through the rigorous consequences of the chemotherapy and came out with high scores and she had no bounds to her joy. 

Suffered for Christ – St Francis of Assisi wrote to St Clare and her Sisters, “Those who are weighed down by sickness and the others who are wearied because of them, all of you bear it in peace. For you will sell this fatigue at a very high price and each one of you will be crowned queen in heaven with the Virgin Mary’ (The Canticle of Exhortation to Saint Clare and her Sisters, Verse 5,6 ) Yes, we see these words fulfilled in Sr Susheela Maria.

In the year 2018, when she was diagnosed with cancer she accepted it without any resentment and she suffered for Christ. She saw the hand of God in her life and she would always count the blessings even on death bed. She cooperated with the doctors, nurses and all those who attended on her. She knew that there was going to be a crown kept for her in heaven as a reward for her suffering. She was a faithful friend to many. Jesus chose her for a greater cause. He loved her so much that he made her worthy to suffer with him. The Congregation gave her all the possible treatment suggested by the doctors, with the hope of saving her life. But day by day her health deteriorated. She endured this sickness, pain and agony for almost five years. Our ways are not God’s ways, our thoughts are not his thoughts.  After these long years of suffering Jesus desired to have her in heaven and to crown her with eternal bliss. It was her deep desire that at her death the Chaplet of Divine Mercy be recited. The Sisters and those around her witnessed a grace-filled and peaceful passing away of this noble soul. 

Final journey – Ravindranath Tagore says “Death is not extinguishing the light. It is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come”. Yes, the lamp is put off from this world because she has been lit forever in heaven.

Her funeral Mass took place at Holy Rosary Convent on Sunday 5^th March at 3.00 p.m. amidst a large number of Sisters of our Congregation and other congregations, particularly the Sisters of Apostolic Carmel who had played a very important role in her faith journey and to whom she was ever grateful.  She had the privilege of having her own Spiritual Father Rev. Fr Rudolf Rodrigues as the main celebrant of the Eucharistic celebration and Rev. Fr Derick Pinto  to preach the homily. Episcopal Vicar for Religious of Mangalore Diocese Rev Fr Daniel Veigus O.P and seven other priests concelebrated. Fr Derick in his homily comparing the life of Sr Susheela Maria to a river said that she let go of all that the world could give in order to be a part of the Ocean, she became a blessing to all who came into her life and endured all inconveniences and sufferings she met on the course of her journey of becoming one with the Ocean, the Lord and Master of her life. In tears the Sisters, family members, relatives and friends bid a moving farewell to Sr Susheela Maria and accompanied to the cathedral cemetery, Jeppu where Fr Derick Pinto conducted the burial rite and she was laid to rest in the womb of the Mother Earth.  

Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted (Mt 5:4). As long as we live, she too will live with us for she is now a part of us.   We extend our heartfelt sympathies to her beloved family members, well-wishers, friends and the Sisters of Ursuline Franciscan Congregation who have lost a beloved Sister, loving friend and a saintly religious. Those whom we hold in our arms for a little while, we hold them in our hearts forever. Those who touch our lives stay in our hearts forever. So our dear Sr Susheela Maria is going to be with us forever .The song is ended but the melody lingers on.

Dearest Sr Susheela Maria you are ‘Greatly Loved, Deeply Missed’. Your memories will remain forever.