THE ASIAN CONTINENTAL MEETING FOR THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AT TEWATTE IN SRI LANKA

16 - 26 May

COLOMBO

SRI LANKA JAFFNA

INDIA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES

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Arrival at Tewatte… Since their arrival at Tewatte, the group has experienced torrential rains every day…on two days there were unending thunderstorms. As a result, there have been powercuts at times, leaving them without lights, fans, and the translation system… there have been pools of water in one or two of the bedrooms and on the open verandahs… two Sisters have fallen, but were fortunately not hurt.. However, they are very aware that these are negligible inconveniences when they think of more than 300,000 people whose homes have been washed away; 30,000 that were evacuated from a flooded hospital… roads closed, disruptions in transport, preventing people from going to work… This is unseasonal weather for Sri Lanka. Another sign that Global warming and climate change continue to make themselves felt – and though the whole of southern Sri Lanka is affected, once more it is the poorest people who suffer most.

Entrance Tewatte Retreat House

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OPENING The Five Holy Family Leadership Teams and the General Leadership Team gathered in Tewatte, (outside Colombo, Sri Lanka) on the evening of May 15, 2010. As usual on these occasions, there were many happy reunions, and some introductions between Sisters hitherto unknown to each other…

The participants number 30, instead of the expected 32, because two of the Sisters from India: Josepha Saminathar and Angel Saverimuthu were as yet unable to travel because of passport/visa difficulties...

Sunday, May 16 dawned with a little weak sunshine and the promise of rain… but the spirits of the Sisters were not dampened as they met outside the Chapel before the Eucharist of the Day: the Feast of the Ascension.

Sr. Francisca first introduced the celebrant, Fr. Rohan Silva, OMI, Provincial Councillor and director of the Centre for Society and Religion.

At this time, they were invited to enter into the spirit of the Feast in an introduction read by two participants representing India and Pakistan:

Today's celebration of the Feast of the Ascension reminds us of Jesus missioning his disciples to go to the ends of the earth, proclaiming the good news of God's unending love for the world. Indeed

we are in a graced Easter time, waiting in hope for Pentecost.

The Scriptures open with the proclamation of "God's spirit hovering over the face of the waters," where there is darkness and void. And at one moment, with the word, "let there be light" was the flaring forth of God's LOVE. Henceforth, creation continues… and each one of us is called to be co-creator with God, who constantly communicates that creating love.

Today, as Holy Family leaders in Asia, we are to begin a time of searching and reflecting together to

deepen our understanding of the mission of Jesus and discover relevant ways or responding to it, in the Holy Family. Trusting in God's Spirit who continually creates and 'renews the face of the earth', let us pray for an outpouring of the same Spirit of the Risen jesus, who energized the first apostles to proclaim fearlessly the love of a god who accepted death for greater life!

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As a sign of the opening of this Continental Meeting, we now invite Margaret to light the Paschal candle.

(Mentioning the symbols to be carried in the entrance procession):

We welcome the presence of the spirit of the risen Jesus symbolized in this lighted Paschal Candle. Our Corporate Commitment keeps inviting us to a change of mentality in living our common mission; the logo is a reminder of the particular

context in which we live. Carrying these before us and the flowers in our hands which symbolize our openness to God's ways, let us walk joyfully to celebrate this Eucharist, conscious of being called to be that light of life, and the fragrance of love…

Song for procession: Spirit of Life, come unto me. Move in my heart all the stirrings of compassion Blow in the wind, rise in the sea, Move in the land giving life the shape of justice; Roots hold me close, wings set me free Spirit of Life, come to me, come to me. Fr. Silva's homily reminded us of the need to be firmly rooted in our Asian context, and at the same time keeping a broader view, in order to extend our vision to the whole: to hold ourselves ready to go beyond.

The meeting proper began at 9 am, with some joint words of welcome from the two Sri Lankan Provinces:

On this joyous occasion of our second Asian continental meeting, on behalf of the Sri Lankan H.F Joint Provincial Leadership Team , I extend a very warm welcome to our General Leadership team, Margaret and Councillors, to the Leadership Teams of Pakistan, India and the Philippines and to Eithne Hughes, General secretary and Anne Marie Glynn, translator. A hearty welcome dear Sisters to our country.

This time together is truly a time of grace and I am sure as the programme begins we will experience with Jacob in the Old Testament and exclaim “Truly the Lord is in this spot” (Gen.28:16) The Holy Family J.M.J, have given us the vital energy, the Spirit of God Alone to live and witness to our common mission - The gift of communion, in this our Asian context.

These days will certainly strengthen our bonds of relationship, deepen our awareness and understanding of our “Holy Family Leadership” so that we can draw even closer to our Asian masses which continue to struggle, caught up as they are in nefarious forms of violence, poverty and oppression and wounded mother Earth. The programme i.e the animation, reflection and sharing will open to us to see ourselves for who we are, and as women disciples of Jesus who is

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God’s gift to Asia and to become powerful witnesses to Jesus and His message of God’s compassionate love for the poor the lowly and the suffering people of our continent.

We are happy to invite you, especially those who are here for the first time, to drink in the natural beauty, the splendor of the scenery - all compact on our small island. You will also see, feel and come in touch with the social, political economic and ecological realities around us.

It is significant that we begin this meeting on the feast of the Ascension when our Lord promised His apostles the gift of His power the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to make them His witnesses throughout the world.

United with the universal church we too await the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in order to be born anew. Surely we will be energized by the same life-giving Spirit to continue to choose life amidst the realities of Asia and "move beyond" and journey forward where the Spirit leads us.

We entrust these days to Mary, Mother of Lanka and Mother of Asia and entreat her to make our Holy Family Institute a charismatic family - all on fire to live the reality of interrelatedness and interconnectedness with the whole cosmos in living our common mission: communion.

Margaret Muldoon began her opening address by thanking the Sri Lankan Provinces of for the work they had done in preparation for the meeting. She thanked by name Sisters Amales, Geeta, Shanili, Shoba and Violet for their generosity in accepting to work behind the scenes to provide for the needs of the participants.

She invited the leadership Teams… "to relax… the preparatory work is over… … all you have to do is to be a participant… you have no responsibility to move the Session forward; let this be a time for you, for renewal, a time to be, to go deeper. We begin with the awareness that the whole Institute is with us… there have been messages from all over: Contemplatives, Leadership Teams, communities and individual Sisters…"

This morning, at the Eucharist, we heard an Invitation to go beyond, to widen perspectives, to go out to the whole world.

The Early Christians heard that message. They went out with joy, enthusiasm and courage, with the gift of the Spirit. This same message is addressed to us. If Founder were here, he would surely invite us to do the same… to go out, to go beyond…

It is 190 years since our foundation … since the first three began in the PBN Family. At that time, the Founder insisted on the urgency to find new forms and new means to meet the new needs of his time … he would say the same to us today…"

Basilica in Tewatte – Our Lady of Sri Lanka

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Margaret's address continued with a forceful emphasis on mission, and the need for Religious to go on looking for creative ways to respond in fidelity… she shared a strong note of hope, confirmed by her experience at the recent Plenary assembly of the UISG. "There is something moving in religious life … it is small,

but growing; an invitation to concentrate on the essentials of our life… the prophetic and the mystical…"

Having taken a short time to reflect on the opening address, it was time for the opening ritual…

Before lunch, attention was drawn to the OVERALL PURPOSE of the MEETING, and

Ø To gather as leadership teams on the continent for interconnecting and mutual encouragement, support and help for leadership in the particular contexts.

Ø To work together for mission-focused leadership that will help us to live our Corporate Commitment more effectively.

Having heard an outline of the process to be followed for the work of the Meeting, the participants prepared themselves to "launch out into the deep" in the afternoon…

Leadership Team - Colombo

Leadership Team - Philippines

Leadership Team - Jaffna

Leadership Team - India

Leadership Team - Pakistan

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HISTORY OF SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka- Pre Historic Times:

Sri Lanka has a recorded history since 543 B.C. Although records are not found of civilizations before 543 B.C., historical facts reveal that a civilization existed even long before from Rawana Times. It's believed that an Expelled prince Vijaya to be the first Aryan King of Sri Lanka. Since then many Kings Ruled Sri Lanka Till 1815. Geography: An island in the Indian Ocean off the southeast tip of India, Sri Lanka is about half the size of Alabama.

Most of the land is flat and rolling; mountains in the south-central region rise to over 8,000 ft (2,438 m). Population density of Sri Lanka is 792 per square miles. Government : Republic.

Population: According to the latest estimates Sri Lanka has a population of about 20 million. The ethnic division of the population is: Sinhalese 73%, Tamil 18%, Moor 8%, Burgher, and Vedda 1%. Major languages in Srilanka are: Sinhala 73%, Tamil 18% (national), other 8%. English is commonly used in government and spoken competently by about 10% of people.

Regions: Buddhism 69%, Hinduism 15%, Islam 8%, Christianity 8%. History: Indo-Aryan emigration from India in the 6th century B.C. came to form the largest ethnic group on Sri Lanka today, the Sinhalese. Tamils, the second-largest ethnic group on the island, were originally from the Tamil region of India and emigrated between the 3rd century B.C. and A.D.

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1200. Until colonial powers controlled Ceylon (the country's name until 1972), Sinhalese and Tamil rulers fought for dominance over the island. The Tamils, primarily Hindus, claimed the northern section of the island and the Sinhalese, who are predominantly Buddhist, controlled the south. In 1505 the Portuguese took possession of Ceylon until the Dutch India Company usurped control (1658–1796). The British took over in 1796, and Ceylon became an English Crown colony in 1802. The British developed coffee, tea, and rubber plantations. On Feb. 4, 1948, after pressure from Ceylonese nationalist leaders (which briefly unified the Tamil and Sinhalese), Ceylon became a self-governing dominion of the Commonwealth of Nations. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike became prime minister in 1956 and championed Sinhalese nationalism, making Sinhala the country's only official language and including state support of Buddhism, further marginalizing the Tamil minority. He was assassinated in 1959 by a Buddhist monk. His widow, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, became the world's first female prime minister in 1960. The name Ceylon was changed to Sri Lanka (“resplendent island”) on May 22, 1972. By the 1970s, tensions between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils were escalating. Civil unrest led to a state of emergency in Tamil areas, and a Tamil secessionist movement emerged. Many Tamils fled embattled neighbourhoods of Colombo for parts of the country where their community formed the majority. There were also large concentrations of Tamils and Tamil-speaking Muslims on the east coast. Tamil secessionists claimed the northern third of the country and parts of the east coast. A lot of Sri Lankan Tamils in Canada and other countries moved abroad because of the hostilities that began in the early 1980s. The president, Chandrika Kumaratunga, vowed to restore peace to the country. By early 2000, 18 years of war had claimed the lives of more than 64,000, mostly civilians. In 2001 elections, Ranil Wickremesinghe, was sworn in as prime minister. In December 2001, Norwegian intermediaries helped broker the first ceasefire in seven years between the government and the rebels, hoping it would end two decades of civil war. The agreement came into effect in February 2002. In September talks, the government lifted its ban on the group, and the Tigers dropped their demand for an independent Tamil state. Another significant breakthrough came in December when the Tigers and the government struck a power-sharing deal that would give the rebels regional autonomy. But negotiations in 2003 achieved little. In Feb. 2004, In Feb. 2004, the president dissolved parliament and called for elections in the hope of further eroding the power of the prime minister. The gamble paid off for Kumaratunga—her

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United People's Freedom Alliance won April's parliamentary elections, and Wickremesinghe was replaced by a new prime minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, a high-ranking member of Kumaratunga's party. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa won November's presidential elections, taking 50% of the vote to former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's 48%. In 2006, repeated violations of the 2002 cease-fire on both sides turned into outright war. Fighting between the rebels and government troops continued into 2007. After a weeks of deadly battles, the military took control of rebel-held regions of eastern Sri Lanka in March, leaving tens of thousands more civilians displaced. In early May 2009, a UN spokesperson called the situation on the beach a "bloodbath. By mid-May, the government declared victory over the rebels and announced the death of its leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, seen as a key part of eliminating the insurgents. But though the government heralded the end of the 26-year-long civil war, some Tamil activists said the community's ongoing grievances have yet to be resolved. Early elections were called in October and held in January 2010 and President Rajapaksa won the election in a landslide.

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HOLY FAMILY CONTEMPLATIVE SISTERS IN SRI LANKA

It was the General Chapter of 1969 that opened up the possibility of having contemplative communities in those countries where were sisters who were aspiring to this way of life. Until then, as we all know, there was but one contemplative community, and that was in France.

In 1970, Sister Stella IZARD who had ended her term of service on the General Council came to Sri Lanka for a prolonged stay in the country during which time she also explained to the sisters the decisions of the General Chapter among which was the above mentioned possibility. The sisters who had been thinking of the contemplative life presented to Sr. Stella their desire. These sisters had the opportunity of meeting together on several occasions.

In 1973, a Congress for the contemplative sisters was held at Martillac from March 01 – 31 at which

four sisters from Sri Lanka participated. The aim of the Congress was to reflect on the demands of the contemplative life and to help the participants to understand what this form of life implied. On their return, three of the sisters together with another formed a small group (two Tamil and two Sinhala sisters) began their life together in a house of the Colombo Province at Bolawalana, Negmbo.

During the school holidays of the same year, three more sisters joined with them to live this experience. On August 15, under the guidance and animation of the Province of Colombo, Sr. Bernadette Fernando, at a prayer service they were initiated into this new way of life. The latter three sisters returned to their convents as continue their teaching apostolate until the end of that year. With the return of these three sisters on January 15, and the joining of another sister who had just made her definitive commitment, the community at Bolawalana numbered eight, and the community structures with a superior and bursar were set up. The sisters continued heir discernment with the help of Sr. M. Melanie Fernando, a member of the General Council.

In mid 1974, still another sister joined this community. It was in 1975, after two years of personal and community discer-nment, that the first contemplative community of Sri Lanka was formally established at Bolawalana, Negmbo.

Bolawalana 1975

Manipay 1976-1991

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In the meantime, the desire to have a second contemplative community in the North was taking shape. The project was realised in 1976 with the establishment of a community in Manipay, six miles from Jaffna town. To begin with, they were five in number, three who had already been at Bolawalana and thus had some experience of the new way of life.

In 1976 two more sisters joined the community at Bolawalana. With the increase of the number of sisters, the houses needed some re-arrangement

to ensure, as far as it was then possible, the conditions for the new way of life. In 1978, a new chapel was blessed.

Both these communities were open to the people of the locality who joined the sisters at prayer and adoration according to their possibilities. The sisters were also available to listen to the people in their trials and difficulties and to share their faith and trust in God.

One of the major difficulties both the communities had to face from the outset was to find suitable work that was also remunerative. They tried various activities such as poultry, piggery, diary farming with a few cows, growing vegetables, candle-making, and finally, stitching of liturgical vestments. The last was more suitable for their way of life. However, none of these activities them an income sufficient to meet the needs of the communities.

From 1978, young women began to manifest an interest in the contemplative life. Up to then all, those who entered the contemplative life were from the apostolic life. Several young women wanted to ‘come and see’. Some remained and others returned to their families. From this moment basic formation became one of the priority concerns of the communities. The first young person who entered the community of Manipay had her Noviciate formation in 1979.

In 1980, the community moved to Wattala situated about 8 miles north of Colombo, as the Apostolic Novitiate was to move to Bolawalana. The community lived there until November 1985 when they moved to their house at Nagoda, a few miles north of Wattala. In 1987 two more apostolic sisters made their commitment in the contemplative life.

From 1980, there were great disturbances in Sri Lanka, with the war between the government security forces and the LTTE. With the presence of the Sri Lanka and Indian troops, and with constant bombing, looting, killing, etc. the people of the North began to experience untold suffering in many forms. Jaffna Peninsula was completely cut off from the rest of the country with little or no communication, travelling facilities. The needs of the sick and elderly could not be attended to. Our sisters shared the lot of the suffering people. They too were affected by the prevailing situation of

Comunidad de Manipay 1976-1991

Wattala 1980-1985

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insecurity, feat, uncertainty,… and found it very trying to live under such circumstances. After a consultation with the Sisters, it was decided that the sisters of the community of Manipay join with the sisters of Nagoda to form one community. This was in 1991. The Vicar for the Contemplative Sisters at the time was Sr. Maria Dolores SANZBERRO.

In 1991 the house of Nagoda was erected as a Novitiate house and continues to ensure the formation of young women for the Holy Family Contemplative life at all the different stages of basic formation.

In October 2009 two sisters from Nagoda joined the community of Posadas, Argentine.

At present there are 17 HFB Contemplative sisters in Sri Lanka, at Nagoda, - 12 perpetually professed and 5 temporary professed; among these are two India Sisters, one a perpetually professed, the other temporary professed. There is one Postulant.

Sr. Clair Fernando

Nagoda 1991…

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JAFFNA PROVINCE "As the Father sent me, so I also sent you..."

They bloomed where they were planted....

“Yes, the Associates of the Holy Family, dispersed throughout the world and appearing in one form or another on all the ways trod by poor travellers, may be likened to the flower of the desert, to the flower that grows at the end of an abyss or at the foot of ruins and tombs”( Preface of the 1851 Rules )

When the Founder wrote these inspiring yet enigmatic words in 1851, the Sisters were only in France and in Spain. In the light of what existed, his words “dispersed throughout the world” were certainly prophetic: Did he have a vision of his daughters cresting the high seas with “the Good News” as their treasure and getting implanted in Asia and Africa as “flowers of the desert” in 1862, almost immediately after his death? Can we conclude too that he dreamt of his future daughters of these distant Sands, who would in their turn become evangelisers, would “go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15) in the last quarter of the 20th century? I dare to think he did and I believe he addressed these words to all of us in a very powerful way “Go forward, increase in numbers and virtues, and may your hands Scatter on all sides the divine seed of good works and good example.” v (Preface of the 1851 Rules)

The spirit that he bequeathed as patrimony to his family incarnated itself in the missionaries, "the flowers of the desert" who braved the rigours of winter, droughts of summer and the monsoon storms and torrents! How did all this happen? In this article I will share with you the circumstances that led to this missionary expansion and some of the wonderful works undertaken by those valiant women, which have become the solid foundation of the Holy Family in Asia today.

The First years… On their arrival in November 1862 the Sisters entered into an apostolic field that was already mapped out for them. Bishop Semeria in his first letter wrote: “On your arrival you will find here (I) fifteen to twenty young persons' Europeans or descendants of Europeans; (II) fifty native girls; (III) half a score of young pagans who thanks to the allocation of Holy Childhood Work we have collected to make them Christians; (IV) some young persons to be trained to the religious life.” (8th) June 1861)

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With generosity, zeal and trust in God, the sisters accepted these tasks and certainly, the vision and guidance of Bishop Semeria and Fr. Bonjsan were their invaluable support in these first years.

The English school had progressed under the able direction of Mrs. Mary Anne Flanagan, wife of an Irish Military officer. She had taken charge of the school in 1850. Her dedicated service to catholic education in Jaffna deserves our gratitude. She handed over the school to Sr. Helen Winter and went to Trincomalee to take over the Catholics there. Soon Protestant parents voluntarily sent their children to the convent school when they heard and read in the papers about the high standard of education imparted by the sisters. On the other hand, they had to face much criticism and resentment from Protestant Ministers who feared that these Christian children would lose their faith under the influence of the catholic “nuns”. As early as 14 December 1862 - five weeks after their arrival - an official Inspection of the school took place and the Inspector showed he was well disposed towards the sisters. In January 1863, the Government sold the steamship that served as a means of transport and this discouraged parents in Colombo from sending their children to Jaffna as the journey now would take 8 days! Around this time there was also an invitation to start an English school in Colombo. A tempting offer in need; However, our missionaries were more keen on consolidating the first foundation and keeping together as a community until they got more members. Quite rapidly the English school progressed and became a leading educational institution in the North, under Sr. Helen Winter's efficient guidance.

The second work - the formation of young native girls and the care of orphaned children. These children lived under the care of the sisters and were taught to read and write Tamil for which they employed lay teachers. The sisters opened a workshop to introduce them to skills such as sewing and handcraft. Most of these orphans desired Baptism and were instructed. They responded beautifully. In her letters Mother Xavier said that these orphans were her consolation, her beautiful bouquet to God; In their simplicity they prayed and made novenas so that their Mothers would master Tamil in order to speak to them about God.

When those girls reached the age of marriage, the Oblate Fathers found them young Catholic men as husbands and thus promoted catholic families in the Vicariate. At the beginning, the sisters, the boarders and the orphans were all cramped in one house, but as the works expanded they spread themselves out in three houses rented out for this purpose. On May 24 1864, the foundation stone for the new convent was laid by Bishop Semeria. It took six long years to complete this edifice as fund raising wasn't very easy in those days. Much of the help came from the Propagation of the faith and from another surprising source, the Pondicherry mission in India.

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Those were tough beginnings. They had to face the drab day to day life in a poor underdeveloped country. Mother Xavier's letters describe the many hazards they experienced. Their sense of propriety and cleanliness came under rude shocks with the poverty that surrounded them. The creepy crawlies instilled horror in them. It was not uncommon that they spent sleepless nights, with hair on end, listening to the battles between squealing rats and hissing serpents on the ceiling above their heads! The heat was most trying and get-ling acclimatized to the country was hard. They could not communicate without the Tamil language. Besides, epidemics of cholera and typhoid

ravaged the population. Their orphans were not spared. In 1867, Srs. Liguori and Marie Joseph risked their lives and took turns to nurse their dear orphans. They experienced the pinch of poverty especially in their works. Divine Providence looked after them in a touching way as it did in the time of our Founder. Those trials and sufferings assuredly moulded them in the image of Jesus - our Divine Master. Some months after their arrival in Jaffna Mother wrote: “It is from the heart of Jesus that we will draw the strength to support a new trials” (June 1863) “The crosses that weigh on us do not lessen my confidence. The Divine Mother has protected us so much until now that we cannot but abandon ourselves blindly into the arms of such a tender Father.” (August 1863) Their slow dying had its resurrection in the new life that came into being, with the many conversions to the faith; in the two Novitiates (1864), one for the Holy Family Sisters and the new congregation of the sisters of St. Peter. In 1868 two more missionaries — Sr. M. Eustelle Seqin and Sr. M. Trinity Stephen from France joined the community — and in 1870 the second foundation in Kurunegala, capital of North Western Province was accepted. The Holy Family under this new impulsion of the Holy Spirit began to spread in the South and it increased in “numbers and virtues” thanks to the missionaries. Today and Tomorrow The life of a missionary is anything but romantic or sensational in any age. Our first missionaries were undoubtedly wonderful women of their time. In the first place they were women of faith, women of God, who shared the Good News as best they could. They left home and country without any thought of getting back. Their sacrifices were great. “The footprints they have left behind on the sands of time have attracted many hundreds of young Ceylonese girls to follow the Master's call in the Holy Family. The seeds they sowed have sprouted into other “flowers of the desert”. The zeal and the charity they passed on have become enfleshed in those who gift in total service to their brothers and sisters both in the country and abroad. We have over 40 missionaries from Sri Lanka (Ceylon) serving in the missions of Africa, Latin America and Asia. Many more will come forward to become ‘sisters’ to all, partners in solidarity with those who suffer, seekers of truth and sharers of love. With humility and courage they will go to the ends of the earth bringing the Good News that all human beings are God's Children, brothers and sisters of one another in Jesus Christ. This commitment presupposes that we become in the first place.

Pushpam Gnanapragasam (Jaffna)

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HOLY FAMILY SISTERS IN COLOMBO PROVINCE

The first religious women to set foot on the soil of Sri Lanka were the Holy Family Sisters. In the year 1860 in response to the request made to our Founder by the Bishop Semeria the Bishop of Sri Lanka at the time. The first groups of Sisters Mother Xavier Merchand, Sister Helen Winter, Sister M. Stanislaus Quinn, Sister M. Liguori Roger, Sister Marie Therese Van Meurs, and Sister Joseph Maroille arrived in Jaffna in September 1862. The first Holy Family School opened in 1862. In 1864 some of the sisters moved to Trincomalee to serve the people there.

Teaching, care of the poor, the orphans and the sick formed an intrinsic part of the Holy Family Sisters role in the church. In April 1868 as two more sisters joined the group in Jaffna – Srs. Marie Eustelle and Trinity Steven initiative was taken to move to another mission field. The place chosen was Kurunegala in the North Western Province. Religious education and moral training held pride of place as Holy Family. Sisters aim was to produce steadfast and dedicated citizens. In 1903 Holy Family Convent Bambalapitiya, in 1906 the school at Dehiwela and in 1934 the school at Kalutara were established. The unflagging zeal and the many sacrifices made by the pioneer sisters contributed extensively towards the advancement of education of our mother land.

As time went on, great progress was made, bringing the number of communities in Colombo Province alone, to be over sixty. The journey has not been easy. The foreign sisters who alone worked in state hospitals were asked to abandon their services and leave the Island. In 1961 the schools were nationalized; training colleges were run by the church had to be closed down. Facing all such challenges the sisters moved forward in faith, fidelity and commitment over the years.

Learning from setbacks, continually clarifying the vision mission and priorities was their secret of progress in living the Spirit of God Alone.

During the past 40 years the changes took place in the country and the consequence impact in educational, social, religious spheres have called for an ongoing reflection and revision with regard to new commitments. Inaccessibility to the nursing apostolate, limited appointments to government schools, an ever growing need for organized catechetical and parish apostolate; the call to be closer to the poor living in rural and neglected areas to be a presence to people in remote Buddhist areas and in the more recent times the new calls coming from the aftermath of the war have led to this ongoing reflection in our apostolic involvements.

From the year 2006 we entered into a process of reflection on the theme of “Choose Life” has broadened our vision of communion deepening the spirituality and living of the mission of the Holy Family, strengthening relationships among the sisters building quality

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community life, promoting collaboration of the leadership teams for Joint Formation have been our priorities. To live the above animation at different levels, workshops, retreats on “Heritage” were conducted.

Joint Basic Formation has been a major concern in the recent years. The two leadership teams have been working closely with the Joint Formation team and with those responsible for each stage.

Attention is given also to the continued formation of the sisters. Training in various professional areas to answer the needs as well as to provide opportunities to integrate different aspects of their personalities in and through life.

All five vocations of the PBN family is showing steady growth. Pastoral care for vocations is carried out by a team of sisters systematically with one full time member.

Our apostolic activities are mainly education, catechetical and pastoral work, nursing, social apostolate.

The theme of the General ‘Chapter choose’ life has opened wider horizons and given us a new cosmic vision and impetus to live our corporate commitment. We reorganize the call to go beyond our personal provincial and national boundaries to embrace a global solidarity and harmony with the universe. Our growing awareness of the interconnectedness of all creation challenges us to deepen our awareness of the way we live think and act has an impact on everything else.

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HISTORY OF INDIA

INTRODUCTION

India is an independent (sovereign), socialist, secular, Democratic, Republic with a parliamentary form of government. New Delhi is the capital of India. It has 28 states and 7 union territories. It is the world’s second most populous nation after china. And its land area is 3.3 million sq km. the climate is classified as tropical monsoon. Its ethnic composition is complex, but two major strains predominate: the Aryan in the north, and the Dravidian in the south. India is a land of great cultural diversity as it is evidenced by the enormous number of different languages spoken throughout the country. According to the provisional results of the 2001 census, the literacy rate in the country stands at 64.84%, 75.26% for males and 53.67/% for females. ECONOMIC CONDITIONS: Half a century after gaining its independence, India has overcome all odds and achieved phenomenal standards of economic stability. India is today one of the six fastest growing economies of the world. The country was ranked fourth in terms of purchasing power parity in 2001. The business and regulatory environment is evolving and moving towards constant improvement. Though the development growth rate is quite high still one fourth of the population depends on traditional agriculture where millions of people live below poverty line. Industrial establishments traditionally limited to agro- processing and light manufacturing especially cotton, woollen, silk textiles, jute and leather products have been greatly expanding and diversified in recent years. There is significant progress in computer software industry. CULTURE Since ancient, the spiritual land of India has displayed varied hues of culture, religion, race, languages and so on. The religions that are prevalent in the country are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism. Religious freedom is one of the provisions enshrined in the Indian constitutions and therefore, citizens can practice any religion they want to. Hindi is the official language and is spoken in the Northern States and in most of the cities of India. Other than these there are hundreds of dialects that add to the multilingual nature of the country. A composite culture and socio – cultural and religious pluralism are the salient features of the Indian Sub-continent, though fundamentalism and majority communalism with their hate politics and violence are on the increase. Indian society and the Indian social systems found in south Asia are notorious for their caste system and attended evils, such as untouchability, caste discrimination and

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atrocities, oppressions and marginalization that have been conditioning both the social and mental structures from time immemorial. The Dalits, namely the panchamas are the out-casts who are the worst affected. They are the most poor, most despised and marginalised socio – culturally and economically and thus politically rented insignificant according to Indian concept women and children handicapped mentally challenged, ST ,SC are the disadvantaged people. As we have taken for the option for the poor, our vision towards a new society mainly for the disadvantaged. SOCIAL STATUS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

India is a country of villages and about 50 % of villages are very poor in socio- economic conditions. The government has been making concrete plans for the development of marginalised section, yet the fruits of the development programmes are not reaching the real beneficiaries. Resolving unemployment especially the rural areas and providing basic amenities for the development of the poor and marginalised sections is a Herculean task. There are traditional believes, customs,

local rules and regulations added to the already present exploitative structures that often retard socio, economic development. The persistence of hunger and abject poverty in India and other parts of the world is due in large measure to the subjugation, marginalization and disempowerment of women. There are seven major areas of discrimination against women in India .such as malnutrition, poor health, lack of education, over work, unskilled, mistreatment and powerlessness. Apart from this discriminations child marriage, dowry, divorce and inheritance are common in rural areas. Child Marriages: In many rural communities illegal rural marriages are still common. In some rural areas, nearly half the girls between 10 to 14 are married. Dowry system more than 6000 dowry murders are commited each year in India. This reality exists even though the Dowry Prohibition Act has been in existence for 33 years.Dowry system more than 6000 dowry murders are commited each year in India. This reality exists even though the Dowry Prohibition Act has been in existence for 33 years. Divorce is rare, it is considered as shameful admission of a women’s failure as a wife and daughter – in law. In recent times divorce is on the increased especially in the urban areas. Inheritance: Women’s rights to inheritance of land and property are limited and frequently violated. The women depend throughout their lives on males, i.e the father, husband, the brother or son.

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THE HISTORY OF OUR INDIAN FOUNDATION It is good to reminisce and thank God for his light that guide us in our groping, that eventually lead us to discern and fulfil his plan. It was in the seventies the first student sisters from Jaffna – Sri Lanka studied at Lumen Institute, Tindivanam, India where our sisters had been awakened their awareness through social analysis by Dr. Miss Mary Pillai Ph. D in sociology. They came to know about the condition of the poor people in India through village programme. The sisters were provoked to creative thinking “Why do we, the Holy Family not venture out and have meaningful insertions in India?” In August 1974 the late Archbishop Arokiasamy the Bishop of kottar Diocese made a visit to the Jaffna Diocese. He was welcomed by Sr. Eulalie. He invited the provincial to visit India and be his guest. This invitation was indeed a special grace, as it was the actual beginning of a series of visit and searching that led finally to our foundation. Confident with the assurance of the bishop’s guidance and support, Srs. Eulalie, Anaclete and Pushpam left for India in June 1975. That visit was most encouraging in that it widened our hearts to great apostolic needs especially of the poor and the prospect of a foundation was accepted at both provincial and general levels but the question of obtaining visas to work in India remained. The Provincial council spent much time, questioning, searching discerning and praying for guidance on this subject. It was here that we felt the need to confide this subject to our Founder his dream of an Indian mission. We experienced greater clarity, courage to accept the challenges despite our obvious limitations and with one mind and heart, the decision was taken to have the foundation in Tamil Nadu. The OMI Fathers from Jaffna, Sri Lanka were already working in south India from 1968 and we felt their guidance would give us the necessary direction. Fr. Stanislaus PhilipOMI spoke to the Archbishop of Madras Mylapore concerning our request to start a foundation in Madras. The bishop was happy and is willing to give a mission station where we could get our future candidates.

In Dec.1977, Sr. Marie Joseph and Sr. Pushpam came to India. Fr. Stanislaus took them on an exposure visit to the very deprived villages around and accompanied to visit Archbishop Arulappa and the sisters briefed the Archbishop on the purpose of their visit and on the polices of Holy Family Religious congregation. They spoke of their presence in Sri Lanka for the past 115 years and the thrust of the General chapter of 1975, namely preferential option for the poor. His grace the Archbishop brought out a map of his Diocese, Madras Mylapore and showed

us the vast under developed area in Chinglepet District where there was hardly any presence of religious men or women. The spot he showed us was a substation, Pavunjur attached to the parish of Thatchoor which was traditionally a catholic settlement. It was left to us to decide whether we would accept to have our foundation in this place. We met the parish priest of Thatchoor. He gave

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us a description of Pavunjur: - a colony of poor marginalized people many of whom were converted to Christianity through the untiring efforts of Rev.Fr. Paul a missionary who emancipated about 40 families of bonded labourers from the Hindu high caste landlords. Then Fr. Stanislaus drove them to Pavunjur to have some idea of where we would be and who would be our target people, if we decided to accept the place offered to us by the Archbishop. The church land was barren area, dotted with Palmyra palms, amidst builders of granite rocks. The people were a km. away from the main road, from the spot shown to us. We returned to Kancheepuram filled with many questions: the people were most backward, deprived of everything we could think of: education, land and work physical and spiritual well-being. What does God want from us? What are the basic needs of the people? With many questions revolving in our minds and at the same time confident that God who had begun his good work would not let us down and after open conversation with Fr. Stanislaus Philips, we met the Archbishop and showed our readiness to accept the mission of Pavunjur and we returned to Sri Lanka. Soon after arrival we got a letter from the Archbishop Rt.Rev.Dr. Arulappa. Formally and officially invited our sisters to this Diocese. The sisters would be required to take up direct evangelization, social service, education and health ministry. The months that followed were dedicated to prayer and discernment on the important subject of our new foundation. The sisters were primarily concerned about the formation of a Holy Family community and the stability of its members, so that the community will be able to live and bear witness to the spirit of God Alone and the charism of communion. Srs. John Mary Fernando, Rita Casmir, Peter Aseervatham, Dymphna Mies were accepted this mission in the spirit of God Alone. Thus the 1st Holy Family foundation in India, at Pavunjur on 31st August 1978 was inaugurated. Sr.Rita Casmir a Sri Lankan who studied nursing in Bangalore stayed back in India at the request of the Provincial to prepare for the new foundation. Within two months three aspirants recruited by the O.M.I scholastics brothers. Sr.Rita alone offered to form them besides attending to other tasks namely constructing work, and the over all running of the house until Sr.Dymphna Mies a student doing her religious studies in Mater Dei Institute Goa. Sr. John Mary who was of Indian origin chosen to the pioneer of this foundation joined the community in December 1978. This small house had to accommodate candidate, sister’s student’s sisters from Sri Lanka, visiting sisters and friends. The candidates were hard working, simple and generous in giving themselves for the need of the house and the people. The sisters started visiting the people of Pavunjur, Pachapakkam, Thondamanallur, Nedumaram and Pallayam. In our visit we saw and learn from the people about the social conditions; grinding poverty inhuman caste and class oppression illiteracy and ignorance with all their consequences which stared us in the face. Questions pounded in our hearts and minds; why people should go starving without even a single meal a day? How do we find them something to eat? There were so many mal-nourished children and

famished adults. The entire situation seems to call for immediate responses. Like Jesus we were filled with compassion. We wanted to feed them and clothe them, make them feel the dignity as human persons. We respond to their needs with cash and kind as well as service. Every situation called us to greater generosity and commitment. Sisters and the candidates under the spirit filled guidance of Sr.Bernadine, who joined the pioneering community in the following year 1979, joyfully directed their energies to charitable services and voluntary services care of infants in the day crèche and night

school for dropouts. Mother and child care programmes under the direction of Madras Social Service society were stepped up to give food to pregranant and lactating mothers and babies.

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Seeing the condition and need of the [people soon we put up dispensaries one in Pavunjur and the other in Pallayam. Religious instructions were gradually introduced and with family visit we encouraged attendance at the Sunday Eucharist, recitation of the Rosary and prayer in the family. Pavunjur was the only community for 5 years 1978- 1983. This village offered possibilities for contextual formation especially for primary option for poor. We received help from other epigeous priests and sisters to form our candidates in spiritual, scriptural and doctrinal. The General council accompanied us very closely especially during their visit of animation to our communities. We explored possibilities of insertion in Chennai as early as 1979. There was the need of a place for formation of our candidates. Young girls who had completed their 12thstandard were kept in Pavunjur as they had gone to Maduranthagam to the Girls Higher Secondary School. The others in the contact stage come and see stage needed accommodation and accompaniment. We rented out our house in Choolaimedu in Chennai. At last in 1982 through the great wisdom and insight of Sr.Carmelita the provincial of Jaffna and who was responsible for the Indian mission, the property was made available in Palavanthangal offered by the diocese. Soon our house came up and we thanked God for his goodness and mercies to this community. We remember with gratitude the Province of Britian-Ireland who gifted us with Sr.Sebastian O’brien in the year 1987. She was a blessing to our delegation in many ways and gave four years of unstinted service of teaching English to our Candidates. Sr.Sebastian was replaced by Sr.Frances Darragh on September 1991. She contributed generously to growth of the Delegation as a member of the delegation council and as a superior of the Chennai Community. She actively participated in the parish activities and taught English to our Candidates. She left us in April 2001. The immense contribution of our mother province of Jaffna gave life and being to the Indian mission, lovingly natured its growth helped with well trained efficient and deeply committed personnel for formation, animation and apostolic endeavors. We mention them here for their names: Srs. Bernadine, Everista, Cyril and Helen Mary [R.I.P], Rita Casmir, Dymphna, Maureen, Angelina, Victorine, Elsie, Dominic, Mercy, Genevieve, Francisca, Canice, Daniela, Lavrentina, Berchmans, Pushpam, Romuald and Francis Joseph. Srs. Marion, Peter and Josepha who are with us sharing our joys and struggles, encouraging us and collaborating with us to go forward. Our mission continues and our annual delegation assemblies since 1988 have been sources of information, animation and evaluation. Our fundamental option for the poor remained our guiding principle in choice of the new foundation. We were invited by Bishop Edward Francis to have a community in KeelaUchani in July 1990. This village in the Sivangangai Diocese, Ramnad District, is poor and located in a drought prone area. The population for the most part is involved in migratory labour. From the month of November to June, people will remain in their village to cultivate their fields and work in other‘s fields. When the toddy season begins the family migrates to the regions where they have the labour of tapping toddy from Palmyra palms. We started teaching in parish school as the education was important priority. We choose to live in the old presbytery until the new house was put up. Our life style was on the whole simple similar to that of the people around us. Other sections of our ministry were health work, along with creating awareness and pastoral work, reaching out to the several substations that are part of the parish. The General chapter of 1993 sharpened our options. Our members increased and the call to go to the poor and needy in other state was felt. After much search and study we began our fifth community on June 29, 1994 in Ramakuppam, Andhra Pradesh. It is a village with about 14 Catholic Families. There are five sub-stations with few Catholics in each of these villages. We took up teaching to the poor children of this areas and working with women especially giving them social awareness. We lived in a rented house and like other people we have to collect water and other daily requirement like getting sugar, rice, kerosene oil etc. from the ration shop itself. There

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were many instances when our sisters felt sad for the women who were so ignorant of their plight. In 1997 we opened children’s home for girls and we provide them with education as well as care for their well being. In 1995 Sr.John Mary was named Delegation Superior. The new council studied whether our insertion and ministries were in keeping with our corporate commitment. Different insertion and the new ministries were taken up namely care for the street children in Nanban, a centre for street children organized by Bro.James a De La Sale Brothers. Two sisters stayed with C.I.C sisters. At the end of 6 months we felt the need for more time to experience this new apostolate and so a community was set up in Madurai in March 1996 with this special purpose in mind. And in 1998 we started working with Domestic workers in collaboration with Madurai Multipurpose social Society. In 1999 February by the grace of God we were able to have our own house in Madurai. Marlapalli is a village in the Diocese of Cuddapah Andhra Pradesh where the Salesian Fathers have a school and a project for tailoring for young women and typing for youth. We were looking for an opportunity to extend our services to women in the Cuddapah diocese, which sponsored projects for the promotion of women. The Salesian Fathers invited us to help in their existing projects and on 27th July 1997 we accepted to work on a three year contract in their Institute for tailoring and typing. But we continued our ministry and left Marlapalle in 2004. In the Jubilee year 2000 another insertion came into existence in the Diocese of Vijayawada. A school in the poor village of Akkireddikudam was there understaffed and the women folk were in need of upliftment. There were several far flung substations where Catholics were neglected and had to be instructed in the faith. A small rented house was found for the sisters which was inconvenient and congested. A land became available in Ramanakkapeta and it was bought. House was built for the sisters for the formation of candidates and a hall and dormitory was built for school drop outs from the neighbouring villages and a hostel for normal students. Sr.Rose Mary Swaminathan’s appointment as Delegation Leader to succeed Sr.John Mary is another milestone in the history of Indian mission. One of our first vocations she was initiated and formed in the charism and spirit of Holy Family by our pioneers, Srs. Bernadine, Dymphna, John Mary and Francis Joseph. Sr. Latha LAWRENCE is the successor of Sr. Rose Mary SWAMINATHAN. Our new Delegation Superior has a team of Srs. Punitha ARULANANDAM, Josepha SWAMINATHAR, Angel SAVERIMUTHU and Shanthi ARULANANDAM. With new spirit and enthusiasm the team started their mission. Relying on God’s providence Sr. Latha looks forward to fulfil the plan of God. Wherever we are inserted we take measures to promote basic awareness among women. In all these foundations we are the only religious with no other religious presence. Our style of life is simple and the people have easy access to our houses. All our houses are built in remote areas as we opt to reach out to the really needy and to those deprived of even basic facilities.

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THE GROWTH OF THE FAMILY OF PIRRE BIENVENU NOAILLIES

Missionary Vocations are being promoted and two sisters Sesu Mary K. and Gresa discerned their call to go out of the country with Gospel message and have joined the delegation of Philippines. With the desire to see that all the holy family vocation flourish and the charism of communion is lived in its fullness, those in basic formation are given opportunities to discern their call to apostolic/contemplative/Secular way of life. Thus Sr.Malini Joseph discerned her call to contemplative life and now she is the part of the contemplative community in Nagoda, Sri-Lanka. Rishmala a Novice also joined in the contemplatives and made her First commitment. Lay Associates have grown and become recognizable groups. There are 92 committed members, 48 in formation; there are 107 children of the holy family. The leaders among them teach and form the new comers. They have their regular get together, study sessions and evaluations. In this span of time they had 8 National meetings and 4 Asian meetings. Priest Associates: From the year 1985 onwards some priests has become priest associates and live the demands of their vocations. Today there are 10 committed members and 15 are in formation. The Secular Group in its own discreet way is alive. One has made her definitive Vows on February 3rd 2007. There are 2 other ladies who aspire to consecrate themselves in this vocation, one is in formation and the other is in contact stage. Apostolic group is growing steadily in number, vigour and becoming deeply rooted in the spirit of our revered family. Our small significant beginnings, our non-Institutional set up, our option to live in deprive areas and work for their upliftment of the poor and our simple life style remain a challenge to all those who come to join our family. Today we are blessed with 43 perpetually professed, 19 temporary professed sisters and 13 are in different stages of formation. Another foundation the 3rd one is in Andhra Pradesh Mulagalampadu in the diocese of Eluru. New ministry with school drop outs emancipation of child labourers have been taken up; contact is made with people affected with HIV/AIDS to bring about greater awareness among them. The sisters in the three communities in A.P work in collaboration with local government organizations as well as with non-government organizations. The Ninth foundation was opened on the 27th of June 2009 in Mangalamkombu, the diocese of Dindigul. There are four sisters in the community. They are staying in a rented house. The main aim of this community is to work for the neglected and marginalized people in the hill area. The presences of our sisters give life to the people through health ministry, Pastoral work, and tuition to the less privileged children. The life of our sisters gives witness to the people. By visiting the families our sisters are able to know the people the socio, economic and cultural aspects.

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Sr. Latha LAWRENCE is the successor of Sr. Rose Mary SWAMINATHAN. Our new Delegation Superior has a team of Srs. Punitha ARULANANDAM, Josepha SWAMINATHAR, Angel SAVERIMUTHU and Shanthi ARULANANDAM. With new spirit and enthusiasm the team started their mission. Relying on God’s providence Sr. Latha looks forward to fulfil the plan of God. Wherever we are inserted we take measures to promote basic awareness among women. In all these foundations we are the only religious with no other religious presence. Our style of life is simple and the people have easy access to our houses. All our houses are built in remote areas as we opt to reach out to the really needy and to those deprived of even basic facilities.

OUR MINISTRIES

According to our corporate commitment we commit our selves to affirm the dignity of the human person by standing against all forms of discrimination among ourselves, in society and in the church and as empowered women we are called to empower women. From 1978 onwards the communities have taken up the social activities in their respective communities. Constant efforts are made to create awareness about the causes of poverty, oppression, ignorance, illiteracy and other needs. Sisters actively participate to the growth and development of disadvantaged people. We 62 sisters render our services to the people through various ministries like social, pastoral, education, prison and health.

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HISTORY OF PAKISTAN

HOLY FAMILY IN PAKISTAN

The Oblate Community began their ministry in Pakistan in 1971.Working amongst the people, they felt the need to have some Sisters to assist them, especially with a view to reaching out to women. It is not customary in Pakistan ( according to its culture ) for men to enter into this field. After approaching Rt. Rev. Bishop Cialeo O.P. the Bishop of Faisalabad Diocese, for his advice, the Oblate Fathers finally requested Our General Council for personnel for this task. This dream was realized in February 1975 when seven Sisters; five from Sri-Lanka and two from Europe set foot on Pakistan soil. So, the first foundation of the Holy Family Sisters in Pakistan began in a rural village - Chak 6 in the district of Okara. The Holy Family Sisters who arrived in Pakistan were

Sr. Stephanie Ranasinghe, Sr. Murine Fernando, Sr. Tharsilla and Sr. Benedicta Pathinather from Sri-Lanka. A few days later they were joined by Sr. Brigid Davis, from the Province of South Africa, and Sr. Catherine Counihan from the Province of Britain and Ireland. After two months Sr. Anne Perera arrived from Sri-Lanka. These Sisters stayed with the F.M.M Sisters, in Renala Khurd, about 15 miles from Chak 6 because the old Convent in Chak 6 was under repair. So the Sisters had to travel to Chak 6 daily to supervise the work and start their apostolic work, which involved first of all visiting families. On 28th April 1975 the opening of our first Convent took place. It was blessed by Rt. Rev.Bishop Cialeo.

September 1975 Sr. Teresa Perera, Sr. Mercia Fernando and Sr. Yvonne Fernando came to Holy Family hospital in Karachi to do nursing, In October the same year Sr. Sheila Griffiths and in February 1976 Sr. Mercia Peiris from Colombo Province joined the pioneers. Since the language - Urdu had to be learned the Sisters went to Murree hills for a break in the summer, and also attended Language School. There some of the Sisters were down with Chicken Pox. In the picture you can see Sr. Mercia Peiris, Sr. Sheila and Sr. Brigid with an Irish Presentation Sister, in Murree.

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The old Church in Chak 6: and our first school The first school was opened by the sisters under the tree in the center of the photo. The verandah of the church was also used as classrooms. Years later after the new Church was build; the old Church building was used as a hostel for girls. Children in the near by villages were prepared for First Communion; before attending a 3 day summer camp-programme as immediate preparation in Chak 6. In the beginning the sisters were teaching the young girls the art of sewing at the same time imparting religious education. ( Sr. Murine is seated in the middle teaching them). This was also a good preparation for their future life and those who did well in sewing were attached to an organization who paid for their good work. Classes took place in the open air in the garden of the Convent. Many of these girls are now married or working in other places. Gojra:

Gojra, a small town situated about 40 miles from Faisalabad and almost 60 miles from Okara city, is in the same Diocese as Chak 6 Okara. This was the second foundation. December 8th was the day chosen for the opening ceremony, a well fitting day, as it was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a feast special for the O.M.I.’s. December 8th 1975: Sr. Stephanie Ranasinghe, Sr. Brigid Davis and Sr. Sheila Girffiths took up their abode in this

mission. A temporary dwelling place was furnished in the servants quarters, (3 rooms), a kitchen and two small bathrooms sufficed as a modest abode. The neighbors were the Fathers’ cook, and one or two teachers from St. Albert’s school. Relationships with these neighbors were friendly and cordial. Our way of life surprised them as they could not understand how we could do our own housework and cooking. In the beginning we worked closely with our Oblate Fathers and Brothers on different projects. This project of animation covered women, young girls, children as we worked on sewing centers, child care centers, education as well as health projects and we paid attention to regular family visits. 1976, in answer to the request made by Bishop Bonaventure, the Bishop of Hyderabad; Sisters Victorine Rodrigo and Miriam Daberera from the Province of Colombo took the responsibility of training of midwives as well as the management of the hospital in Hyderabad. Many were the challenges the two Sisters had to face. The following were the energizing words of their commissioning…

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“Go with renewed energy to work to build Communion. Let your commitment be a light to them by what you are, say, do”.

They have fulfilled this mission with enthusiasm, courage and determination over the past 34 years and still continue to serve. Here the Sisters concentrated in wholistic formation. Over 400 young girls have qualified as Midwives and are now working in many parts of the country in Government and private hospitals and clinics. They prove to be very responsible and are appreciated Much. In 1977 we moved to the desert area in the Diocese of Multan. There was a solitary church built by the Dominican Fathers and a few Christian families scattered around. All one could see was sand and sand dunes. A new experience for the three; Sisters Stephanie, Evelyn Hanley and Mercia Peiris. Since there was no priest sisters saw to the needs of the people who became very close to the them. Occasionally a priest used to come to celebrate the Holy Mass. The beginnings over here were very challenging as there were no facilities like gas and electricity.

From 1977 to the present moment we have opened 4 more houses and are now working in all the Dioceses of Pakistan. Our presence in these areas gives us an impetus in building communion.

Formation: From 1985 we stared accepting young girls who desired to follow the Holy Family way of life. This was a daunting task as we had to be very sensitive to the culture, language and the background of these young women. The untiring efforts of the Sisters in this field give a great hope for the future as there are 20 energetic Pakistani Sisters. The 16 missionary Sisters are still a great support for the growth of our Delegation. Sr. Nasreen Nazir is a missionary in the Camaroons.

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HISTORY OF PHILIPPINES

Country : Republic of the Philippines Government : Democratic Capital : Manila

Before the Spanish explorers came, Indo-Malays and Chinese merchants had settled in the Philippines. In 1521, the Spaniards, led by Ferdinand Magellan, discovered the islands. The Spanish conquistadores established a colonial government in Cebu in 1565. they transferred the seat of government to Manila in 1571 and proceeded to colonize the country. The Filipinos resisted and waged Asia’s first Nationalist Revolution in 1896. On June 12, 1898, Emilio Aguinaldo declared the Philippines independent from Spain and proclaimed himself President. After ruling for 333 years, the Spaniards finally left in 1898 and were replaced by the Americans who stayed for 48 years. On July 4, 1946, the Americans recognized the Philippine Independence. The Philippine flag was hoisted on this day signaling the recognition of this important event in the history of the Philippines.

Demography: The country has over a hundred Ethnic Groups and a mixture of foreign influences which have moulded a unique Filipino culture. The Philippines is the most westernized of Asian countries. There is also a rich underlay of Malay culture beneath the patina of Spanish and American heritage. National cultural life is a happy marriage of many influences, as the indigenous Malay culture is assimilated and adapted to different strains in a practice typical of Malay temperament. An upsurge of Philippine nationalism stimulated a desire to preserve the ancient heritage without restricting its openness to foreign artistic influence. Each regional Group is recognizable by distinct traits and dialects – the sturdy and frugal Ilocanos of the North, the industrious Tagalogs of the Central Plains, the Carefree Visayans from the central Islands and the Colorful Tribesmen and Religious Moslems of Mindanao.

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Tribal communities can be found scattered across the archipelago. The Philippines has more than 111 dialects spoken, owing to the subdivisions of these basic regional and cultural groups.(pictures of these people)

Geography : The Philippine archipelago is composed of 7,107 Islands, with a land area of 299,764 sq. kilometers. Its length measures 1,850 kilometers, starting from the point near the southern tip of Taiwan and ending close to northern Borneo. Its breadth is about 965 kilometers. The Philippine coastline adds up to 17,500 kn. Three prominent bodies of water surround the archipelago : the Pacific Ocean on the east, the South China Sea on the west and north, and the Celebes Sea on the south. This position accounts for much of variations in

geographic, climatic and vegetational conditions in the country. The topography of the bigger islands – particularly Luzon and Mindanao – is characterized by alluvial plains, narrow valleys, rolling hills and high mountains. The highest mountains are found in Mindanao and Luzon, with the altitudes varying from 1,790 to 3,144 meters. Most of the smaller islands are mountainous in the interior, surrounded by narrow strips of discontinuous flat lowlands which constitute the coastal rims. There are many active as well as dormant volcanoes around the country. As Philippines is in the Pacific Fault, frequent earthquakes are normal. The country is visited by frequent Typhoons at times exceeding the Alphabets. The Philippines has a tropical climate with relatively abundant rainfall and gentle winds. There are three pronounced seasons : the wet or rainy season from June to October, the cool, dry season from November to February, and the hot, dry season from March to May. People : The Filipino is basically of Malay stock with a sprinkling of Chinese. American, Spanish and Arab blood. The Philippines has a population of 90 million as of 2009. From a long history of Western colonial rule, interspersed with the visits of merchants and traders, evolved a people of a unique blend of east and west, both in appearance and culture. The Filipino character is actually a little bit of all the cultures put together. The Bayanihan or the Camaraderie spirit of kinship that Filipinos are famous for, is said to be taken from Malay forefather. The close family relations are said to have been inherited from the Chinese. The piousness comes from the Spaniards who introduced Christianity in the 16th century. Filipinos are probably one of the few, if not the only, English-proficient Oriental people today.

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Hospitality, a trait displayed by every Filipino, makes these people legendary in Southeast Asia. Seldom can you find such hospitable people who enjoy the company of their Western visitors. Perhaps due to their long association with Spain, Filipinos are emotional and passionate about life, in a way that seems more Latin than Asian. Religion: Predominantly Christian. Catholics : 82.9% Protestants : 5.4% Islam : 4.6% Philippine Independent Church : 2.6% Church in Christ : 2.3% Language: Filipino is the native language which is used nationally as the language of communication among ethnic groups. Like any living language, Filipino is in a process of development through loans from Philippine languages and non-native languages for various situations, among speakers of different social backgrounds, and for topics for conversation and scholarly discourse. There are about 76 to 78 major language groups, with more than 500 dialects. Two official languages : Filipino and English. Economy: “Free Market” socio-economic policies have intensified elite control of economic life at the expense of the Filipino people. Big foreign and local corporations profit most from Filipino labour, land, forests, seas, and minerals leaving 80% of the Filipino below poverty line. The rampant Graft and Corruption and the huge amount paid in foreign debt further depletes the country’s economy.

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THE HOLY FAMILY OF BORDEAUX IN THE PHILIPPINES

“I remember very vividly the occasion when I was attending a refresher course on Pastoral Theology at the East Asian Pastoral Institute with other Bishops, the EAPI Director came to announce that a Congregation of Sisters was interested to know if any of the Bishops would need Religious Sisters in their Diocese. I was the first to raise my hand” says Bishop Jesus Y. Varela, now Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Sorsogon.

The journey into the unknown began on November 4, in the year 1983, when Four Holy Family Sisters of Bordeaux – Srs. Christiane Meunier, Pushpam Gnanapragasam, Josephine Mendis and Emerentiana A’Kattar courageously entered the 7100 Islands – the Philippines – to plant in the Filipino soil the seed of our Charism “To Be and to Build Family.” They were warmly welcomed by Bishop Jesus Y. Varela, the Bishop of the Diocese of Sorsogon. Their choice of the Holy Family was confirmed when they learned that they are in the most depressed Province in the most depressed Region in the Country. The Option for the Poor became clear, vivid and alive in their hearts as they accepted the invitation to make its Home in the Diocese of Sorsogon.

The voice of God was heard and responded to by three Holy Family Sisters: Srs. Anne Marie O’Boyle, from England, Maurine Fernando, from Pakistan, and Olivia Joseph, from Sri Lanka. October 24, 1984 was the auspicious day the Pioneers, after a short period of familiarization in Rome arrived in the Diocese of Sorsogon.

The Pioneers ventured on the exposure to the 16 towns and 25 Parishes in the Province of Sorsogon in view of finding the “Nazareth” that will be theirs to make their home. The various circumstances, the meager resources of the Diocese, and the Holy Spirit, led the Pioneers to a Barrio at the beautiful Beach, 24kms from the Town of Sorsogon and 4kms from the town of Gubat.

On May 2, 1985, the three Pioneers moved to Barangay Rizal, and occupied the room offered by Tata Zacaria. “Being Family and Building Family” began to take root in this modest place which was very much in the mind of Bishop Varela for the Holy Family, to be integrated into the lives of the Poor in his Diocese.

The Poor and the poverty situation of Rizal were mostly welcomed by the Holy Family. That was the good intention of Bishop Varela that the Poor of his Diocese become the “Priority” of anyone who wishes to serve the Lord.

We were offered by the Diocese a house which was an Elementary School before and the Holy Family accepted it with gratitude and the Pioneers moved to the little “Nazareth” on December 4, 1985 and continues to be our Home until Today! This little Holy Family Community survived the many trials and difficulties of mission life because of Prayer that kept them united to face the challenges with courage. The sisters went in search of the people, reached out to them to offer their Holy Family hospitality and welcome.

The Founder’s words “Go Forward” began to echo in the hearts f the Holy Family Sisters hence, the desire to reach out meaningfully according to the Signs of the Times. A decision was taken to

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establish a second community in the Diocese of Sorsogon and the choice of place was Bulan, another town where the majority of its residents are Poor.

There was a strong feeling that the Holy Family needs to have a House in Manila for the purpose of Formation and for the various purposes of our Sisters.. We were only a group of 7 then in 1995 (we are 11 now in 2010!). Providence was with us and we were established in the archdiocese of Manila on the 14th July 1995.

Our serious discernment during our Delegation Assembly in October 2008 on the need for a Basic Formation House, having three young women ready to move to the Novitiate Stage was realized. Our Novitiate House is established in the Diocese of Novaliches in Manila and was blessed on the 5th June 2009. We are blessed with 3 Novices, 2 Postulants and 1 Aspirant.

The “Option for the Poor” is at the heart of our Apostolic choices

The Holy Family Communities became aware of their own poverty – the language barrier, the culture gap, distant from the center of the Dioceses and the Parishes, no other missionary Congregation to offer support or advice. In addition, they were alarmed by dire warnings about typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tidal waves. But nothing stopped them from reaching out to the people. They could see that, living in proximity to the people was a real blessing to them.

The little huts, the children peeping through, the women at the washing wells, the men staring into the sky, the elderly stationed in the corner of the house, the malnourished children, the sick and the needy caught the attention of the Sisters in no time.

The number of malnourished children increased day by day. The Holy Family community responded to the situation immediately by starting a Feeding Program to provide a Mid-day meal that is of nutritious value. The Feeding Program that was started in 1986 is being continued until now having 65 children and some lactating mothers. It is a clear indication that the life situation of the people had not changed much or had gone worse with the Super Typhoons and other natural calamities that leave the people hopeless and frustrated!

The poverty situation of the families was clearly seen in the lives of the children in the areas. Almost 80% of the children were not only malnourished but found to be having Tuberculosis. The Holy Family Houses are kept open even during the night for emergency sick calls. The Sisters make themselves available for the healing ministry which is part of the Holy Family mission. The felt need to respond to the needs of the sick children and adults and elders prompted the Sisters to open a Health Clinic to attend not only to the children but to all those who are in need of help. Thus the Feeding Program and health program became a combined Project of the Holy Family until now.

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The Holy Family Communities are busy mingling with the people to know them and their families. Sisters’ regular visits to the families provide them with the opportunity to know their situation – their poverty and their spiritual situation. The economic condition of the people prompted them to open a Kindergarten for children who had no means of attending pre-school program in the towns, and a Typing and Stenography Program for Out of School Youth.

The Livelihood Program of Pig-raising and Shell-craft for Women, Tricycle project to the unemployed men and the purchase of equipments to the Farmers for Rice Farming and Fishing Nets to the Fishermen around the area were considered as blessing and hope to uplift of the lives of our ‘favourite Poor.’

The Missionary zeal of the Holy Family Sisters allowed them to reach out to the spiritual needs of the people by undertaking Catechesis in the Elementary and High Schools, bringing Communion to the Sick and the Elderly in their homes, visiting the Families, introducing and organizing Bible Sharing and Prayer groups.

Hospitality has been part of the Communities’ mission where All are made to feel welcome. As communities of Disciples, constantly we are on the move, seeking for new ways of being present to the Poor and reaching out to them in varied ways and according to their needs. There is continuity in searching to be and to do something meaningful. Our life and mission is based on two Gospel principles namely:

“I tell you: whenever you did this for one of the least important of these Brothers and sisters of Mine, you did it for me”

“You have been faithful in little things” ….

This exactly is the mission life here in the Philippines – quietly penetrating the lives of the People to sow the seed of Being and Building Family, nurturing it with our presence and life witness, walking side by side in all simplicity of the Holy Family of Nazareth, moving away from Institutions and institutionalized apostolates, rendering humble service in the spirit of God Alone.

FROM THE BIRTH OF OUR DELEGATION

October 27, 1997 was indeed a milestone when our Foundation here in the Philippines was erected as a Delegation with a New Delegation Leadership Team. A new house for the Delegation – in place of the dilapidated Elementary School – was constructed. With this kind of development, we reflected on our would-be Priorities. PROMOTION OF VOCATIONS emerged as one of them. In eagerness, opportunities were sought more than ever before, to introduce the Holy Family even outside the

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Diocese of Sorsogon. Prior to this, our Sisters had introduced the Family to young people; they came one by one and also left one after the other – as it is difficult to be alone for the Filipinas to live among Sisters all foreigners. Yet, the Sisters did not give up, they still go on courageously. Especially during the Summer vacation, when the schools were not in Session, our Sisters gathered the young girls – though not in very big numbers, have a “come and See” Program called “Nazareth Experience.” This has become one of the annual features of the activities of our Delegation. The one that was recently held in April this year is the 7th of its kind.

“The Seed that fell on good ground began to bear fruit”

The Dream of Our Founder in Building the “New Society” has been realized and is in existence in the Filipino Soil in the Three Vocations namely :

• The Apostolic Sisters • The Lay Associates • The Priest Associates

From the beginning itself our Sisters kept in touch with the Lay – both men and women. From Prayer Groups they had evolved – with long time preparation, into Committed Lay Associates from all three places where our Sisters are. At present there are 68 Committed and 43 Lay Associates in Formation. Most of them are very simple people, happy to come together to be rooted in our Charism and Spirituality, for regular formation meetings, family events and celebrations. They have now grown into leaders, taking up the responsibility for their own group of Associates, while the Sisters are happy to guide them in their mission. They are our Mission Partners in:

• Family and School Catechesis • Small Groups Bible Sharing • Family visits • Visits to the Sick and the Elderly • Leadership and Christian Formation Programs and Workshops • Shared responsibility in the work of Animation to the Associates and Youth • Education and Health Programs to Parents • Special Gatherings and Guidance Programs for Men • Vocation Promotion • Awareness Programs for Environment & Integrity of Creation • Programs of the Diocese to implement the Diocesan Pastoral Plan • Participating in Rallies and Marches for Justice & Human Rights

Conscious of living the Charism wherever they are and whatever they do. In the Year 2005, the National committee of the Lay Associates was formed, worked out on its by-laws to suit the local situation – as it was time and the members proved themselves capable of

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being responsible for their own Formation and that of their fellow Lay Associates. May 2007 was a memorable one when all the Lay Associates from all three places came together in Rizal, Gubat for the “Fist National Assembly” of the Lay Associates. It was Family Union for reflection, sharing and Celebration! Another Development is the Commitment of our Priest Associates. During this period 1997 – 2010, the number of Committed Priest Associates is 05. 03 of them are very active and committed while the other 02 dropped out for health and other reasons.

Since 2003, the leadership team of all three Groups come together as Inter Vocational Group once in 3 months for Reflection on our Holy Family Way of Life, to get ourselves better informed of all what is happening around us – the current social and political issues and also how to get involved as members of the same Family to move forward as one Body.

Our awareness creating Program to promote Eco-conscious living is still at its infant stage. One Vocational Group takes the lead to facilitate when we gather for Inter Vocational Meetings. Such occasions are not only times of hard work and sacrifice but in the Filipino style they are also of joyful celebrations. After the General Chapter of 2002, we re-doubled our efforts regarding Pastoral Care of Youth and Vocations. We intensified our efforts to visit, to invite the young people for the earlier mentioned experience with the Holy Family. Human and Christian Formation were given importance to in these programs. Those who continued to show interest in the Holy Family way of life for the first time in the recent past entered as Aspirants, then as Pre-Novices and finally in the year 2009, on Trinity Sunday, the first batch of three, entered the Novitiate in another Diocese in Metro Manila. To find a house suitable for the purpose with a title clean, was no joke. On the eve of Trinity Sunday the house was officially blessed by Bishop Antonio Tobias of the Diocese of Novaliches.

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God has blessed us with Vocations from among the Filipinos that give meaning to our Charism of “BEING FAMILY and BUILDING FAMILY.” We are hopeful that God will send us Vocations in His time to the Group of Holy Family Contemplatives and Consecrated Seculars to make us One Family. Our sense of belonging and our bonding as a Family is so cherished and nurtured by our coming together to celebrate life, to share our joys and sorrows, to pray together, to find ways and means of enriching our lives with our life and faith experiences. We enter into the process of deepening our life in the Charism and Spirituality of the Holy Family of Bordeaux. The Holy Family of Nazareth – the gentle image of the Blessed Trinity is our Model and Guide in living our Spirituality of “GOD ALONE” and to live as Sisters and Brothers belonging to One and the same Family!

Last but not the least to go down into our History is the “Launching of our Jubilee” in anticipati8on of our 25 Silver Years on 24th October 2008. It was held in the Parish of St. Anthony of Padua, in the Vicariate of Gubat. It was presided over by our Bishop Emeritus – Very Rev. Bishop Jesus Y. Varela – the Bishop who invited us to his Diocese. The event was not only a preparation but also one of introducing the Holy Family to the people from all walks of life. Using the Mass Media, our Family was introduced, in addition to the entertainment in Songs and Dances,

fellowship Meal where friends, and acquaintances participated. It was only the beginning. The whole PBN Family prepared themselves by Reflection provided monthly and other activities to promote the devotion to the Holy Family. October 24th 2009 saw the great day of Days, the actual Celebration of Remembering the 25 Years ! It was held in Rizal, the place of our Foundation and the Thanksgiving Eucharistic Celebration was presided over by Bishop Arturo M. Bastes, the Bishop of Sorsogon. Many of our diocesan Clergy, Religious, friends, the People of Rizal and of course all our Lay and Priest Associates graced the occasion. The day became very colourful with the presence of our General Councillor Sr. Kumudinie Dassanayake, our Pioneers Sisters Anne Marie O’Boyle, Anne Catherine Perera and our long time Missionary Sr. Eithne Hughes (at present the General Secretary). This Historical Event gave us greater impetus to “Go Forward” with greater courage and more dynamic zeal.

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Our hopes are high. The Blessing that Our Family received in February 3, 1822, the Orientations coming from the General Chapters, the concern and guidance of our General leadership Team and the support of all our Sisters and other members from the different parts of the Holy Family world urge us to move forward. As of now, our first and foremost concern is the Basic Formation, the Formation and life of our Sisters and the challenge is to respond and to open our eyes, ears and our hearts to the realities around us and to respond with courage and greater fidelity according to the invitations of the WORD OF GOD and the HUMAN WORD.

The Delegation of the Philippines

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LAST DAY OF THE MEETING …

Relationships were created and deepened

Fruits were gathered

Commitments were made