India North

Below you can read about some of the ministry work being carried out in the India North Unit. To learn more about Presentation Sisters in India North, visit their website http://presentationsistersnip.org/

Srinagar

Kashmir is renowned for its beauty all over the world. “If there be a paradise on earth it is here, it is here, it is here”. Emperor Jahangir

The Presentation Sisters came to Srinagar, Kashmir from Rawalpindi in 1936 as the Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir had requested Monsignor O’Donoghue that he wanted the Sisters to open a school in Kashmir.Monsignor O’Donoghue requested Mother Peter Conway and she agreed to send Sisters to Kashmir. Rev Mother Peter Conway, then Mother Superior of Presentation Convent Rawalpindi accepted the offer in consultation with other Sisters in Punjab.

Thus, the first Presentation Convent was opened with four noble pioneers Mother Peter Conway, Mother Annunciata, Mother Sacred Heart Kavanagh and Mother Xavier.

As the number of students increased, more accommodation and facilities became necessary. The Sisters requested the Maharaja to allot sufficient land to them for this project. He was very gracious, so he leased a large plot of land, centrally placed on the banks of the river Jhelum. A beautiful school building was constructed on the spacious grounds in 1939. Gradually the number of students increased, and the school began to flourish to celebrate its Golden Jubilee in 1986. The Sisters from most of the Communities in the Province were present on the occasion, along with Sr Christopher our Provincial.

Kashmir, the peaceful valley came under the threat of militancy from the year 1989 which paralysed the normal life of the people since then.

Keeping in mind the constant request from the parents and realising the need of the time, the Community decided to upgrade the present school from class 10 to 12 in 2009.

In 2011 the Platinum Jubilee of the School was celebrated in a very grand manner.

In September 2014 a heavy flood marooned Kashmir valley. The Sisters experienced the powerful Providence and care of our loving God who helped them to face this calamity courageously without losing heart.

The mission has been very challenging as Kashmir is a conflict zone and there are frequent disruptions to normal life due to curfew and stone-pelting. Yet the Sisters have undauntedly ministered to the people of Kashmir for the past 84 years.

Sr Theresa Viegas, from Jammu Community shares an article she has written called Venerable Nano’s Legacy Unfolds in Srinagar

Sehore

It was the dream of the Indian Unit from the year 2012, to look for a suitable property in order to expand the Presentation Presence in the State of Madhya Pradesh and to have a supportive community to the existing Novitiate Community at Gondermau, Gandhi Nagar, Bhopal.

The former Unit Leader Sr Lizzy Mathew and her Team, along with the Novitiate community identified a piece of land located in a village called Pachama in Sehore District which is one of the fast-developing areas of the State. It is about 30 kilometers away from the Novitiate House, Bhopal. The literacy rate of Sehore is 71% and is in great need of education, which was expressed by the local people of the area.

A house was bought and blessed for the Sisters to stay at Sheetal Vihar. Sisters Alice Mulackal and Maria Thomas were missioned as pioneers, to form a new community at Sehore in June 2016. It was decided that this community be the extended community of Jammu Presentation Community.

The Sisters involved themselves in the Parish activities such as conducting catechism classes and preparing the children for the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation and praying with the Catholic families in the Parish etc.

Gradually, the Sisters’ residence and Nano Nagle Kindergarten – Pre Primary School was built and blessed by Archbishop of Bhopal Rt Rev Leo Cornelio on the occasion of 300^th Birth Anniversary of Nano Nagle on 26 April 2020. Sr Miriam, and some of our Sisters from Jammu and Bhopal were present for the occasion.

After much struggle and perseverance, the Sisters are hoping to get the school recognised soon.

Rohtak

The journey of Rohtak mission goes back to 4 Sept 1978. It was the result of the combined efforts of the Arch-dioceses of Mumbai and Delhi, Canossian Sisters, Jesus and Mary Congregation. Both the Dioceses shared their personnel and finances for the Mission. The seven of them formed one team and tried to live like the first Christian community, sharing their life of prayer and work. The aim of Rohtak mission was evangelisation through a simple and non-structured way of life and by being a ‘presence’ among the poor people.

Srs Stella D’Souza and Regina Panachipuram joined the Rohtak team on 18 September 1979. An Inter-Congregational Community with Sisters from three different Congregations living together, in the same community, was very joyful and challenging.

The Presentation Sisters were blessed to have a house built by the Diocese of Delhi 27 December 1984.

From 1985-1992, the team kept themselves busy with Balwadies, Coaching classes, adult education, tailoring classes in slums, villages and instruction in local government schools. In the meantime, the Sisters of the other Congregations left for good.

A devastating flood took place in Rohtak in September 1995 due to heavy rains and the failure of the drainage system. Fifty villages were totally marooned and about forty people lost their lives. The Catholic Church in Rohtak took an active part in the relief work. Having got financial assistance from “Caritas India”, all the religious working here, reached out to the people with compassion.

In October 1996 the Sisters started with Prison ministry, working with other NGOs, working for the non-formal education among Scheduled Castes. They started a little school in Kartarpura and Indira Colony for the children from Nursery to class I. In September 1998, they extended their services to include training courses in Beauty Care and Tailoring, for the local young women.

On 13 November 2004 they celebrated 25 years of Presentation Presence in Rohtak. The last twenty years had seen a lot of changes taking place in Rohtak. This was the time when they felt the need to register themselves as a society if they were to continue the good work they were doing. Therefore, on 17 April 2006 “Presentation Society, Rohtak” was formed.

The beautiful new home in Indira Colony was blessed and inaugurated on 17 November 2014. On 18 September 2019, the Presentation Sisters completed forty years of their presence in Rohtak Mission. The Sisters continue to serve the poorest of the poor through education and social ministry.

Prernalaya

The year 1998 is very significant in the History of the Presentation Sisters in India – one Unit with four Circles. From 1976 onwards, the PBVMs in India remained as one Province in the Union group. One among many reasons for restructuring was that, it was difficult to administer this Unit which was spread across the country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari; hence the need for restructuring became imperative. The communities in the North are in the following states: Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Bihar and Jharkhand and they formed the North Circle of the Indian Unit of the Presentation Sisters.

The newly formed North Circle did not have a house in which to function. The new Circle Team with Sr Margaret George as the Circle Animator and Srs Ida Ferrao, Phyllis Pulickal and Dorothy Fernandes as Team members, began to function from Delhi 6. A house was rented and was given the suitable name as PRERNALAYA. It is a Hindi word which means ‘House of Inspiration.’ The official opening of PRERNALAYA house (Rented) took place on 12 January 1999.

The Leadership was on the lookout for a new administrative house and after a long search, the long-awaited dream came true on 25 August 1999 – a house at A- 49, Priyadarshini Vihar, Delhi-110092 was purchased.

In 2015, the bifurcation of the Province took place and the one Unit with Four Circles became two autonomous Units known as North India Unit and South India Unit. From 1 June 2015, the Circle house was made into a hospitality house with its main mission as hospitality, prayer and presence.

The Sisters at present cater to the Parish community with family visits as their main mission specially seeking out the poor and the needy for empowerment through education and prayer. There are Sisters teaching at Delhi -6 Presentation Convent School.

Sr Alba renders her service to an international community once in a while.

Jammu

St Mary’s Presentation Convent Jammu, under the patronage of our Lady of Good Counsel, lies at the foothills of the Himalayas. When Sr Patricia Kelly of Presentation Convent Srinagar, passed through Jammu on her way to Delhi in 1951, she met a few Catholic men at the bus stop who requested her to hear their confession! On reaching Delhi, she visited the Archbishop S. Mulligan O.F.M. Cap, and explained the situation in Jammu. The military and the local Christian community requested Mother Peter Conway, the Superior of Srinagar to open a school in Jammu city.

On 12 April 1954, St Mary’s Presentation Convent School was opened with 170 children on rolls.

St Mary’s Presentation Convent School celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 1979, the Golden Jubilee in 2004 and the Diamond Jubilee in 2014 of Presentation presence and their Services for 2400 pupil. May the Spirit of our Venerable Nano Nagle continue to share God’s compassionate love for the people of Jammu through the school and social ministry.                             

Bishop Telesphore invited the Presentation Sisters to Dumka Diocese, Jharkhand. After many visits and dialogue, the four pioneers, Srs Philomena Doss, Vilhete Carvalho, Jessy Lobo and Selma George arrived in Dumka in mid May 1990. The Sisters took time to learn the local language ‘Santali’. The two Sisters were assigned to Cilimpur and resided with the Sisters of Charity. Another two Sisters stayed with the Jesuits at Hathimara and Deopu,  for practical experience of learning the culture and language of the people.

Patna

Sr Dorothy Fernandes began the collaborative work with Patna Province Jesuits to teach social justice and women empowerment at the Regional Pastoral Centre, Navjyoti Niketan on 16 June 1997. It was a joint mission of Jesuits, Ursuline Sisters, Notre Dame Sisters and Presentation Sisters. After accomplishing the term office with the Jesuits, she continues to stay on in Patna at the service of people at the periphery as she was moved by the struggles of the people in the slums (urban poor) of Patna.

In January 2010, Nano Gyan Niketan School was inaugurated by Archbishop William D’Souza. Sr Dorothy got elected on the Unit leadership Team in February 2010. She found it difficult to hold the activism of the rural and urban issues and to be true to the mandate of the Sisters. Yet she was able to balance both the responsibilities with the strength of her staff from ‘Aashray Abhiyan’ and continued to serve those made poor.

Dorothy was awarded by PAGC Foundation, as an unsung hero in the field of education, in March 2020.

Dorothy and her team were busy reaching out to people who were hungry due to Covid.  Later in the year, Dorothy was awarded a certificate by the Patna Municipal Corporation Commissioner for her selfless service to the urban poor during the Covid period. She continues to work for the people at the margins of society, to get houses, education, providing awareness and acquiring social security schemes from the government.

Jiajor

The people of Jiajor village awaited the arrival of the Sisters and they were given a warm welcome on Sunday 24 February 1991. They lived in a very small house known as “Match box house” and moved around the villages with our traditional sari and habit. Life in the community was more joyful, though at times, it was tough.

March 1998, a new school building was blessed by Fr Dungdung. The villages, being far away, meant the children had to walk miles to reach school. Moreover, the children from remote villages were not getting the opportunity to come to the school. Therefore, the Sisters decided to start the hostel for girls from June 2000.

Jiajor Parish was administered by the Franciscan Friars of the third Order Regular (TOR) and the school, run by the Presentation Sisters for 20 years, was handed over to Dumka Diocese on 1 June 2003. The school, from a small beginning of 55 students in a remote place, has 560 students  today.

The Sisters celebrated 25 years of blessings with joy and gratitude on 24 February 2016. It was indeed a day of joy for the people of Jiajor Parish and the Presentation Sisters.

The existing infrastructures for the boarders were not really sufficient, hence in 2018 there was a new construction of a dining hall and kitchen, funded by the Diocese of Rottenburg Germany, Irish Embassy Delhi and Nano Nagle Solidarity fund.

Besides the education ministry, the Sisters are also involved in vocational training programmes, SDGs and health activities.

Delhi – 6

A primary school that was run by O.F.M fell into debt and faced closure in 1939. Archbishop Sylvester Mulligan, Cap, invited the Presentation Sisters of Rawalpindi to take over the management of the school. Three sisters were deputed from Presentation Convent, Rawalpindi in 1936. They were Mother Gabriel Monks from Dublin, Sr Augustine McGuirk from Northern Ireland and Sr Michael Murray from Cork City. They arrived in 1939 and stayed with the Franciscan Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament at Paharganj.

On 8 December 1939, the school and the residential quarters were officially handed over to the Sisters and Mother Gabriel became its first principal.

The Presentation Senior Secondary School at Delhi-6 began as St Therese’s High School in 1924. Initially it catered to both boys and girls of the Northern Railway employees who were either Europeans or Anglo-Indians. Started with 13 pupils in a tent, the school was raised to a middle school and was recognised by the government in 1926 and gradually upgraded to Senior Secondary School.

The school community celebrated its Diamond and Platinum Jubilees of Presentation Presence and continued to celebrate through the year with a deep sense of joy and gratitude.

The Presentation Convent Senior Secondary School Delhi today, has 2600 students. It’s the 5th oldest School in Delhi. It is amongst the first schools in India to receive ISO Certification for Quality Management Systems and Environment Management System, simultaneously. The School functions as an agent of social transformation by imparting value education, building responsible citizenship with dignity, inculcating compassion for the poor and empowerment of the girl child.