Sr M Christine BS

                                    Sr M Christine BS of Immaculate Heart of Mary

Born                                       : 06.12.1932

Entered Bethany                   : 22.05.1952

Temporary Profession          : 12.05.1955

Perpetual Profession            : 13.05.1961

Slept in the Lord                   : 16.01.2021

Well done good and trust worthy Servant, you have been trust worthy in few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master. Mt 25/21

This scriptural quotation summarises the life and death of our beloved Sr Christine. Faithful in little things, dedicated and committed to assigned tasks Sr Christine proved to be excellent. In the same disposition she went to meet her creator at 12.15 pm on 16 January, 2021.

Sr Christine is one among the seven children of the Late Marcel DSouza and the Late Therese DSouza of St Sebastian Church Permannur in the Diocese of Mangalore. She was born on December 06, 1932. The family prayed together and educated the 07 children at Stella Mary’s Higher Primary School. She joined Bethany on May 22, 1952. She made her Temporary Profession on May 12, 1955. From humble beginnings, her life travelled a distinct, yet distinguished, path even that of a mission station of Basrur in her younger days. Sr Christine offered herself perpetually on May 13, 1961.

early in the morning at 4.00 am and would eagerly go to the chapel to adore the Lord of her life. Whoever enquired about her well-being, she immediately replied “All my years I spent in rendering service to others.

Now the Lord has given me this precious gift to rest in Him. I will spend my time in adoring the Lord and praying for the needs of the Congregation and the needs of the people”. Indeed she did this with utmost sincerity and commitment. With a beaming smile on her face she radiated God’s presence everywhere. Sr Christine always obeyed promptly and with great respect to the authority. The Lord blessed her desire that she did not give a single opportunity for her companion Sisters of the community to be nursed not even for a day. Often she said to her companion Sisters ‘I have completed the mission entrusted to me now I am just waiting to be plucked. I am ready to meet my Creator. She had heart ailments. Hence she was transferred to Santa Cruz Convent just seven months ago considering the proximity of the medical facilities. Whole community loved her and she was very happy in the community. In the evenings she would stroll around the garden with a light pipe in her hand watering the plants.

She complained about uneasiness in the chest on 16 January 2021. Immediately she was taken to Fr Muller’s Hospital accompanied by Sr Veronica and Sr Reshma Fernandes. After the initial check-up doctors suggested ECG to be taken. While the nurses tried for the same Sr Christine uttered her final words ‘Jesus, have mercy on me, Mother Mary, save me’. She turned to Sr Reshma and said “I am going to the Lord’ and over the phone she said to Sr Shubha “I am going to the Lord, thank you’. It was 12.15 pm. She had peacefully passed to the other world of her desire, her only eternal home.

Provincial Superior Sr Cicilia Mendonca, her Councillors, Sr Ida Janet the Superior, Sr Shubha, and Sr Lavita rushed to her side. The doctors declared that she had suffered a massive cardiac arrest. The Sisters of Santa Cruz Convent were shocked to know that Sr Christine was no more. Funeral rites were conducted on Jan 17, 2021 at 3.00 pm at Holy Cross Church, Kulshekar. Fr Melwyn OFM, Cap, Episcopal Vicar for Religious for Mangalore Diocese was the main celebrant and the parish priest Fr Victor Machado preached a homily befitting to Sr Christine as the ‘holy one of God. She was blessed to be interred on Sunday in the parish cemetery. Sr Christine is survived by those candidates who lived with her, emulating the value of Christ through her in their ‘Come and See’ phase and are now serving like her in different parts of the world wherever Bethany exists. Many of them were present for her funeral to pay their respects to her. Sr Christine’s spirit will forever live on at Santa Cruz Convent and beyond It was such a tribute to her that her kith and kin all over Mangalore, were present in large numbers for her funeral.