INDIA: LIFE AND ACTIVITIES AT MARIANI PARISH IN ASSAM

Second Year Novices Arockia Mary, Vimala Kumari, Salomi, Shireesha, Philomina and Princy were to go to North East for their Missionary Experience.

Second Year Novices Arockia Mary, Vimala Kumari, Salomi, Shireesha, Philomina and Princy were to go to North East for their Missionary Experience. They were placed in different parishes at - Mariani in
Assam, Khonoma in Nagaland, Borduria in Arunachal Pradesh. Here are the impressions, experiences and calls of two novices Salomi and Shireesha.

We are happy to share our experiences inMariani
Parish, Assam. We were under the guidance of Fr. Ceasar, the Parish Priest. In Mariani Parish there are 15 villages and these villages are surrounded by tea Estates. The people (Adivasis or Tribals) have come from different States of India in search of employment and they are kept as slaves by the Estate Owners. They receive daily wages and lead a hand to mouth existence and are not in a position either to take care of their children or to educate them. Though they live a hard life they are happy, generous in sharing what they have. Whenever we visited their houses, they received us warmly saying ‘Jai Jesu’. According to their custom they washed our hands and served what was available in their houses.

We felt that these people need the service of the committed people in order to lift them up from their primitive mode of life. We spent there about a month, mingling with the children in the nursery school and teaching them. In the evenings we visited families and they openly shared their joys and difficulties. Whenever we visited them we were reminded of the words of St Peter “I have no money at all, but I give you what I have. In the name of Jesus....”. The promise of Jesus “I am with you” was our strength. On Sundays we went to a particular village to conduct Sunday service and to preach the Gospel where the Parish Priest could not go. In this situation we placed our trust in the providence of God and stood firm in our faith. People encouraged us and accepted us and our message. In this manner we came to know people faster.

In another village we participated in the blessing of a new Church. Together with the Holy Cross Sisters we taught hymns to the children and the opening ceremony went on very well. We found that the people were open and very cooperative. We were happy to be in this Parish for Christmas and New Year. With the people we also joined in their singing and dancing and enjoyed the Christmas celebration. We like to say that our Gospel Ministry among these people was a challenging one. When we look back and examine all that had taken place we feel that God had carried us and helped us to do our best in an unfamiliar ground, among unknown people. We are convinced that God needs us to reach out to His people and He will use us as His Messengers in the way He chooses. We need to prepare ourselves to opt for a challenging missionary life. We are grateful for the opportunity given to us.