Diocese: Mangalore
Pioneers: Sisters Rita D’Souza, Speciosa Alvares, Jude D’Souza and Lidwin D’Souza
The Ursuline Franciscan Sisters arrived at Siddakatte on March 1, 1971 at the invitation of Fr Raphael D’Silva, parish priest of St Patrick church. The objective of their presence was twofold, namely collaboration in the pastoral work of the parish and teaching at St Patrick Primary Kannada Medium School. For their residence, a house in conjunction with a plot of land was bought from Mr Francis D’Souza, who had five of his sons as priests and four daughters as nuns. The Sisters’ immediate task was to address the demands of their mission at Siddakatte.
In fulfilling the first objective, the Sisters taught in the school including the nursery classes; the school building lies one hundred metres away from the Convent, across the road. Their commitment to teaching apostolate along with compassion towards the children brought about considerable progress, academic in particular, within a short period. The importance they accorded to education at Siddakatte did not deter them from taking up teaching at Loreto Aided Higher Primary School at Loreto, which lay 14 kilometres away from Bal-Christ Nivas at Siddakatte. They commuted to the location on a daily basis. Sisters Olivia Sequeira and Verine Suares are fondly remembered for this self-giving mission. The parish got a new school building constructed with the help of donors. A dilapidated and congested structure was replaced with a three-storied building in 2010.
In view of empowering women and girls of the locality, they conducted tailoring and needle work sessions in the Convent. A large number of women benefited from the project. The Mother and Child Care health programme was another important initiative they monitored in view of ameliorating the pitiful condition of women. These have been empowered also by way of literacy, adult education, and self-employment like preparing soap. The schemes of literacy and tailoring were closed in 2010; this is because women of the locality were able to secure employment in a cashew factory. Still the Sisters continue to reach out to women through self-help groups. They monitor and animate them.
In the parish, the Sisters undertake sacristy work, catechize children, and animate Sodality of Children and the Association of Altar Servers. They visit families regularly. As Bal-Christ Nivas had to manage with meagre income of a single teaching post in the school, it became necessary for them to explore alternative means of livelihood. Hence in 2007 Sr Benny Correa started a nursery class in the Convent. Beginnings were precarious with only four children in the class. Currently, under the management of Sr Diana Saldanha, a steady increase in number has been taking place. She has started both lower and upper kindergarten sections. Her determination to develop the school, takes her to distant regions of Siddakatte in search of children. Hassles are plenty, but the nursery school meets its objective to a large extent.
Certain events in the history of Bal-Christ Nivas are worth a mention. A new convent building was put up in 1996 in the same location. Sr Clemence Noronha, animator of the community shouldered the responsibility. Successive animators endeavoured for economic self-sufficiency of the Convent. Sr Agnes Andrade had a tube well sunk and a pump installed in 2000. With adequate water from the well, several agricultural activities were undertaken subsequently. These are: planting three hundred areca saplings, jasmine plants and vegetables. Coconut and areca trees were irrigated regularly. However, the water source dried up within a short period due to sinking of several tube wells in the vicinity. Alongside, the cultivation too had to be wound up. Sr Shanthi Lobo, animator of the community, a water diviner herself, came to the rescue. Under her guidance, in 2012, a new tube well was sunk right in front of the Convent, which supplies sufficient water; it has enabled resuscitation of the agricultural activities. Sr Servella Rodrigues who served at Siddakatte for eleven years celebrated the golden jubilee of her religious profession on April 17, 2006.
The fruitful and committed work of the Sisters at Siddakatte has been the cause of immense development at the place. Nonetheless, the area and its surroundings project an impression of an underdeveloped area. Given this reality, the Sisters need constant support and encouragement to keep going with trust and hope in the Lord who has called them even to carry his Cross. The Lord who guides the course of their life and mission will surely give them enough strength to carry on joyfully.