Diocese: Kohima
Pioneers: Sisters Mary Mendonca and Gracilda Dias
As at Meluri, the Ursuline Franciscan Sisters were invited by the Jesuits to collaborate with them in apostolic activities at Chizami, which lies 80 kilometres north of Kohima. The parish church, erected in 1974 was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and consisted of 90 villages was beginning to take shape under a band of untiring and committed Jesuits. Only five of ninety villages consisted of a few Catholic families. The mandate to proclaim the Good News had to be accomplished. The Ursuline Franciscan Sisters joined the Jesuits in the task. Sisters Mary Mendonca and Gracilda Dias arrived at Chizami on January 1, 1976 as pioneers.
A missionary is one who has stripped himself or herself of possessions. Accordingly the Sisters lived in a single room made of bamboo walls and roof. Two more Sisters joined them in May 1976 to make it a full-fledged community. Their apostolate could be spelt out as visiting villages and families, catechizing catechumens and instructing Catholics, education, medical work and social service. As the Sisters began their apostolate by visiting families, they made sure that one of them was a trained nurse. As per need, they remained in villages eating whatever was set before them and taking in stride trouble and hardships; they even gave up their rest of night. In ten years, they managed to reach thirteen villages. Their labour of love was evident in its fruitfulness: the number of Catholics increased from 300 to 1700.
Besides carrying out the mandate of proclaiming Christ, the Sisters served as teachers in the diocesan school. They also offered their services in the children’s boarding house. The Sisters used expertise of the boarding children in catechizing children, first communicants and catechumens. The boarders served as excellent translators to the Sisters.
The service of the Sisters in the school has had a salutary effect. Chizami consists of dedicated faithful and responsible citizens. The Sisters have enhanced their pastoral apostolate: they use communication media to implant faith in pupils as well as in people during their visit to villages. Along with building the faith of people, the Sisters strive for their holistic growth. With this in view, a Health Workers’ Centre and a Tailoring and Knitting Centre were inaugurated on August 20, 2003 at Chizami. On the occasion, the civil S.D.O of Chizami, in the presence of civil leaders, officials, Sisters of the Congregation and the trainees of the newly started Centre, hailed the work of the Sisters in the service of the least.
Sacred Heart Convent has witnessed celebration of 25 years of religious life of the Sisters who have toiled tirelessly in the service of God and neighbour. They are Sr Rosy Dias (2007), Sr Matilda Cutinha (2009) and Juliana Veigas (2009).