Sr M Gretta D Souza BS

                                    Sr M Gretta D Souza BS of Immaculate Heart of Mary

Born                                       : 28.02.1951

Entered Bethany                   : 10.06.1972

Temporary Profession          : 30.04.1975

Perpetual Profession            : 10.05.1981

Slept in the Lord                   : 16.05.2021

‘Blessed is the one who remains steadfast under trial, for when stood the test will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him’ (James 1:12)

With these sentiments of hope in the Resurrected Christ Sr M Gretta DSouza lived her religious life totally dedicated to God. After fulfilling the task entrusted to her by the Heavenly Fathershe offered her life to God and flew to the heavenly abode to receive the crown of life in the serene night of the Feast of Ascension on 16th May 2021 at 10.00pm at Fr Muller’s Hospital, Kankanady.

Sr Gretta DSouza nee Benedicta Clara Gretta DSouza hails from Bondel, St Lawrence Church of Mangalore Diocese. She is second among the eight children of the Late Albert DSouza and the Late Juanna DSouza. She has five brothers and two sisters. She completed her Primary education in her native place St Lawrence Hr Pry School and High School studies at Kulur. On 10th June 1972 she dedicated her life to God through Bethany. She made her First Profession on 30th April 1975. In the same year she was sent to Jyothi Nilaya Community to pursue her Teacher Training at Fathima TCH College, Bangalore. She had her one year study at Catholic Centre, Bangalore and then onwards served as a teacher.

Sr Gretta was a person of prayer and spent long hours before the Blessed Sacrament. Even in her illness she never missed the Eucharist and was faithful for all the spiritual execrises in the community. She was a warm, compassionate, and vibrant religious who always went out of her way to help others. She was a person filled with zeal and passion. She was known for her simplicity of life and a sense of humour. Affectionate by nature, loved the company of sisters in the community and they sought after her. She had a wonderful perception about life which endeared her to everyone whom she came in contact with. She was a lover of the poor and reached out to them in their needs by sharing her personal allowance. Spirit of poverty was the hallmark of her life and she possessed minimum things. She was kind towards the helpers in the kitchen and spent her time in helping them.

Her zeal for pastoral ministry is praiseworthy. After her retirement she was involved totally in pastoral ministry and taught catechism for the first communicants and rendered her service at St Antony’s Shrine Kerekatte. She was a lover of nature and loved manual labour. Cultivating vegetables, planting herbal plants, maintaining flower and kitchen garden was her passion. She never complained about her illness. Her prayer was “Lord, never allow me to be a burden for others” and the Lord was pleased to fulfill her desire. As a skillful teacher she has rendered commendable service in the field of education for 34 years in various communities and Educational Institutes of the Congregation and of the Dioceses. She actively involved herself in the educational and pastoral apostolate at St Joseph’s Convent Bhatinda, Lisieux Convent Puttur, St Antony’s Convent Padukone, Sacred Heart Convent Neerude, Loretto Convent Moodubelle, Good Shepherd Convent Ullal, Bethel Convent Permannur, Mary Queen Convent Karkal, Regina Caeli Convent Ranipura, Visitation Convent Kadaba and St Joseph’s Convent Basrur.

She enjoyed sufficient health to carry on her mission. She suffered from nerve problems which caused pain, numbness, swelling and muscle weakness. She was under constant medication for arthritis, thyroid and hypertension. Since last week of April she was suffering from fever, headache and on 3rd May diagnosed with Covid 19. Immediately she was shifted from St Joseph’s Convent, Basrur to Fr Muller’s Hospital, Mangalore for further treatment. She was put on ventilator support when the Oxygen level deteriorated. All efforts were made to recoup her health. Gradually, her health deteriorated. In spite of all the efforts by the doctors she succumbed to death on 16th May 2021.

As soon as her news reached me, I rushed to the Hospital along with Sr Roshel the Asst Provincial Superior and prayed for the departed soul. On the following day May 17th 2021 her mortal remains were brought directly to St Raymond’s Convent Cemetery at 11am. Rev Fr James Dsouza, the Parish Priest of St Joseph the Worker Church, Vamanjoor blessed the funeral and performed the last rights. Rev Sr Rose Celine, the Superior General, and my councillors, Sr Gracy Monica the Superior of St Raymond’s Convent and the community sisters along with her family members were present for the funeral and offered prayers for the departed soul. At 11.45am her mortal remains were laid to rest.