| Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Littlehampton |
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Our Missions
Two
New Novices Received in St. Francis Community, Mysore - India |
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...Fr Wilfie OCD with Srs Theresa and Alphia
...................................Sr Lincy
working on the computer |
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On
28th November 2009, in St. Francis' Community, Mysore, Pratima Toppo and
Helen Obi were received from postulancy into novitiate. Sr. Clare Bernadette
was asked to go and receive them, representing Mother General. The new
Sisters adopted the religious names of Theresa (of Lisieux) and Alphia
(from the new Indian Saint Alphonsa). During the reception at Morning
Prayer, Sr. Anne Joseph presented the San Damiano Cross to Sisters Pratima
Theresa and Helen Alphia, while Sr. Clare presented them with the Rule
and Constitutions. After the Morning Prayer and reception, Fr. Wilfie
OCD came to celebrate Mass in the convent. After Mass, he joined the new
novices and community in celebrating with a special song and cake. The
new novices join Sr. Lincy in the novitiate. The community already has
four Sisters: Girija, Elizabeth, Martha and Promodini in temporary profession.
Sr. Elizabeth is teaching primary level in a Vincentian school. Sr. Girija
is working in a nursery owned by the CMI Carmelite Fathers. Srs. Martha
and Promodini are embarking on higher Education home-study courses. The
convent is now filled to maximum, praise God! Sr. Clare returned to England
on 3rd December.
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| Letter From Peru July 2009 | ||||
Dear
David and Barn Choir, Sr Anastasia and Sisters, Fr Peter, Nurse Manager,
Staff Residents, parishioners and all our kind supporters.
Many thanks once again for a splendid performance, for having been there for six summers, even at a distance, I can still appreciate all those lovely tunes, especially the much loved “English Country Garden.” It is jumper time in Lima, but in the southern highlands, it’s that time of year when many young children succumb to the rigors of the wet, cold weather where temperatures drop to –18 with no means to keep warm. All over the country, everyone is being careful not to catch the dreaded “swine flu.” So far there have been five deaths; here in South America, the country with the highest number of deaths has been Argentina. School holidays have been brought forward the Independence Day celebrations at the end of July, and all marches and gatherings cancelled; even the Bishop’s conference has issued it’s own set of directives. |
Some
weeks ago we had the unfortunate incident of a breakdown in communications
and a clash of interests between the Government and the native tribes;
the Government wanting to explore the riches of the jungle and the native
people wanting to preserve their heritage – the end result, loss
of life – as police moved in to restore order, but in doing so suffered
the most casualties.
Thanks to your generous support at the Christmas Concert, Sr Clara and our nurse friend, Aidé, continue to take the children to Lima for their therapy assessment. Some results are hopeful, others not so, but even for those children who will obviously have a shorter life span, Michael Murphy the Irish Engineer and promoter of the project has been able to make their own little spaces at home more comfortable. Quite near the Therapy Centre, a new Medical Centre has been opened, and the doctors are showing great interest in the children’s health and well being, which in itself, is a blessing. Many,
thanks for everything, for the discipline of the choir practices, etc,
and above all for your great generosity. On behalf of the children, many
thanks and God Bless. |
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| Letter From Peru December 2008 | ||
Dear
David, Choir, Sisters, and Residents, Parishioners and generous supporters.
Greetings and blessings for the Christmas Season, and many thanks for your continued support, which now runs into years of dedicated service. I’m sure there have been many Monday nights when other options and commitments have presented themselves, but Fidelity always had the final word. Many thanks and Congratulations. Here life goes on, like the world all over, feeling the crunch of the economic slowdown, the only difference is that there are no government bail-outs, but there is always the Barn Choir and the many other donations, which in their own right are bail-outs of a different kind, but none the less effective. Like the rest of the world, we are extremely saddened by the plight of the poor in Zimbabwe, and witness how once a healthy economy could be brought to it’s knees. If there is one place in the world where ‘the cry of the poor’ seems to go unheeded, it must be the African Continent. Apart from our work in Santa Rosa, we are hoping to become involved in a small centre for children with special needs, taking them to hospital and arranging for therapy. During the summer months when things are relatively quiet in the parish, we thought that we could dedicate some time to the children at the Centre, and have proper assessments done in a downtown hospital. Just as the choir, has tonight dedicated it’s singing to the Lima mission, we will be happy to dedicate the proceeds to these children with special needs, with thanks and prayers, and every good wish for a happy and blessed Christmas to all. Sincerely,
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St
Francis (Mysore India) |
Arpitha and Jyothi have joined the pre-postulancy stage. Please keep all this new Community in your prayers. They pray each day for you and your families. |
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| Peru Earthquake: We
are pleased to announce that the Sisters are all fine.
Everyone is shaken by the magnitude of the quake but little structural
damage appears to have been suffered in Santa Rosa. Over the hill in Project
Peru orphanage, some old houses suffered, but no one was hurt. Sister
Barbara has flown out to help. Please pray for all those involved in this
tragedy. |
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| Santa Rosa Peru |
Today
the Santa Rosa Mission is served by Sisters Anne and
Clare (Eugene). The Sisters undertake work in health, education and pastoral
care. They look after the needs of the Parish including looking after
the sick and providing catechesis and preparation for the sacraments.
They also help to train the local women of Santa Rosa to cook and organise
the Comedor. The Comedor provides food for approximately one hundred children
each day. There is also a take away service whereby parents may take cooked
food away to eat at home with their families. |
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The money you give helps the Sisters subsidise the food needed to run the Comedor and to maintain it. The Comedor is now fifteen years old and is in need of repair. As people built their houses above the Comedor, the side of the Comedor became ‘filled in’ with rubble and stones. This was then used as a pathway. Observe the white house to the left of the Comedor, this shows the rubble and pathway. |
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The 'Municipilidad de Lima' has an on going project to construct stairways up the hillsides, so that instead of the little pathways up to their homes, people can now take a flight of about seventy steps. Our plan is to make a little fence over the stones, in order to prevent accidents. We have also cleared the earth from the side of the Comedor for the purpose of allowing the building to ‘breathe’. Buildings in Lima are subject to damp because of the climate. The walls will then be treated and plastered. The mothers are cooking in another place at the moment to facilitate us as we make repairs to the Comedor. If it were at all possible it would be great to put on a second storey either in wood or brick to use for catechesis. The area is small, as can be appreciated from the photographs. Therefore the extra storey would be of great benefit to the parish community. |
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Santa Rosa is now established as a Parish with its own Peruvian Priest. This resulted in the Sisters offering the ground floor of the house to the new Parish Priest. The sisters have moved to the floor above with their own front door and telephone. The photos opposite show the interior of their new accommodation.
The Refectory (right) The Entrance Hall (far Right) |
St
Francis (Mysore India) |
At the end of November Sisters Anastasia, Benignus and Savio travelled to India to visit our convent in Mysore. The object of the visit was to receive five postulants into the Noviciate and to have another look at the needs of the area with a view to expanding our mission.
Sisters Benignus, Savio and Anastasia with two of the Brothers of Charity, during their visit. (Left) |
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The Sisters have already made many friends in the area. The local residents are keen to get to know the Sisters and offer their services. A local tailor made the new novices’ outfits. There is a Carmelite Seminary in the neighbourhood and they enthusiastically supply priests for Mass and lectures in the convent. The local Capuchin Brothers, the Brothers of Charity, the Divine Word Fathers and neighbouring convents are also eager to share their knowledge and experience with the Sisters. Sisters Savio, Benignus and Anne Joseph in the Carmelite Church. (Right) |
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Promodine,
Elizabeth, Mary Girija and Martha were received as Novices into the Congregation
on 8 December 2006. They have all spent their postulancy in Mysore. However,
they come from all over India. Two are from Kerala and two are from Orissa.
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The
Most Reverend Thomas Anthony Vazhapilly, the Bishop of Mysore, graced
us with his presence during our last visit to Mysore. This was his second
visit to the convent as he had previously visited and blessed the convent
1 April 2006. |
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Life
in India is very different to life in the UK. These photographs convey
a flavour of every day life in Mysore. |
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Click on an image to enlarge |
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