Our mission in Sri Lanka
As we commit ourselves to work especially for the less privileged we also continue to be of service in the field of education, which is our main apostolate. At present we have 24 Sisters serving in the public schools and 11 in private schools.
We also have 35 Sisters engaged in the field of Nursery teaching
Besides these our sisters are actively involved in parish work and teaching catechism to children and adults.
Depending on the requirements of the parish some sisters animate and support by distributing Holy Communion during Holy Mass, Asipa, Lakrivi, Holy Childhood, legion of Mary and other lay organizations. Visiting the sick and distributing communion to them both in homes and in hospitals, visiting homes of both Catholics and non Catholics alike are also taken care of by the sisters.
Our Sisters take care of the aged through Homes for Elders and the children through orphanages. Our boarding houses provide for school children while our hostels cater to working girls. The tireless work of the Sisters among the internally displaced as well as among victims of tsunami has already been mentioned. These were situations that summoned us to serve despite our regular commitments detailed above. The sisters responded with generosity, without counting the cost. They worked in camps and also in the costal belt with those who were devastated by this tragedy. Some Sisters volunteered to work in the rehabilitation camps while the war was going on. They took in turns to go to Vanni and stay there for three months at a time and helped in hospitals and camps.
Homes for Elders
St. Joseph vas Home for Elders, Nagoda, Kalutara
The second floor of Joseph Vaz Home, Nagoda needed completion. This was done along with the parapet wall around the property with funds from Jinadasa Motors and Berendina Micro Finance Institute. It was blessed and declared open in April 2008.
St. Joseph’s Home for Elders, Balangoda
The Balangoda Home was provided with a larger chapel utilizing funds set aside for the purpose supplemented by the building fund and some donations. A recreation room was built with the money received from the grants commission. The boundary wall that collapsed was rebuilt during this time.
Daya Niwasa, Home for Elders, Kadawalagedera,
Daya Nivasa at Karagahagedara needed a block to house the Sisters and a common Chapel. It was taken care of by Most Rev. Dr. Raymond Peiris, the Bishop of Kurunegala. His Lordship himself blessed it and opened it on the 30th March 2005.
Houses for less privilege children
Kildare-Ireland Girls’ Home, Nagoda, Kalutara
Wexford Ireland Girls’ Home, St. Michael’s Convent, Baddegama
Cork-Ireland Girls’ Home, Gonawila, Dankotuwa
Most Rev. Dr. Valence Mendis, the Bishop of Chillaw requested us to accept the mission of Gonawila when the Holy Family sisters left the place after 55 years. Since this was a poor Catholic village inhabited by tile factory workers we agreed to take it up. This house was blessed and declared open on the 15th of February 2006. This community took on the mission of continuing the Nursery and attending to pastoral needs. Today they also have an orphanage in the premises. This community comprises six Sisters.
Nazareth Home, Kalegana, Galle
Accommodating a request of the Most Rev. Dr. Harold Anthony Perera, the Bishop of Galle for a home for the tsunami affected children, the rear portion of the Kalegana Convent block was replaced with a new structure with support from Caritas, Hungary. It was completed and commissioned on the 24th February 2007; it can put up 20 children.
Kudakusum Home, Little Flower Convent, Tangalle
After the tsunami, Rev. Fr. Thomas Kuriacose SJ offered to build an orphanage for the children affected by the tsunami. The lot fell on Tangalle convent premises and today we have a fully furnished house for the Sisters as well as for the orphans. A group of benefactors funded this project through Rev. Fr. Kuriacose SJ. This construction was blessed by Most Rev. Dr. Mario Zenari, the Apostolic Nuncio, on 28th April 2009 and handed over to the Sisters.
Holy Angels’ Boys Home, Alagollawa
In 2003, at the initiative of the Most Rev. Dr. Norbert Andradi OMI, the Bishop of Anuradhapura preliminary discussions were held with the former Superior General. The actual implementation took place on 4th December 2004. The Alagollawa community was begun with the view of helping the Catholic village pastorally. Today there are four Sisters of whom one is a Government teacher. They continued to stay in the mission even during the war. Their hard work has borne fruit as we see in the rapid progress made in the field of Catechism.
The Eastern Human Economic Development office of Trincomalee financed the project and the new building was blessed and opened on 6th November 2009 by the Apostolic Nuncio.
Schools
Holy Angels’ Girls school of Hope, Payagala
St. Agnes’ School, Balangoda
Holy Angels’ School, Kuliyapitiya
Dankotuwa Balika School
Training Center
Kildare-Ireland Training Center, Nagoda, Kalutara
Infermary - Holy Angels’ convent, Bethany, Kurukulawa
Mission in Australia
In 1964 we stepped on the Australian soil and ever since our Sisters have been ministering to and comforting the sick, helping out migrant Sri Lankan workers and engaging in pastoral work. The Sisters visit the sick and the aged in nursing homes and hospitals and help them spiritually, giving them Holy Communion and spending time with them in the eventide of life. The superior of the community is also the president of the Sri Lanka Australian Association that helps new migrants find their way in an alien land. They also help them preserve their Sri Lankan cultural identity and their faith identity. Under the guidance of the Sisters, the group regularly organizes the services of a priest from Sri Lanka to cater to their spiritual needs around Christmas and Easter. The Sisters have also started a Day care centre for the children of working parents. Since last October, the Australian mission has taken up the responsibility financially to support formation in the Kenyan mission.
Looking after the elders
Helping the needy
Destributing Holy communion
Mission in Kenya
The Kenyan mission that began in 1991 now consists of 4 communities and 2 formation houses in 3 Dioceses. At present there are 13 Sri Lankan and 2 Kenyan Sisters. It is sad to mention that 2 Kenyans decided to discontinue their formation after completing their studies. We have one sister who is doing her BA, while one was trained to be a formator in Nairobi in 2004. Two sisters have qualified as Nursery teachers while one sister has done a 4 month Sabbatical at Chemi Chemi Nairobi. In Nairobi our Sisters help with the pastoral activities of the Consolata Mission. We have one Sister who is in charge of the Consolata Nursery School while another teaches in the school. In Isiolo we continue to be in charge of the Secretarial College and the Secondary and also teach in the same school. Besides this the Sisters also help in the parish work. The community in Nyeri lends a helping hand to the activities of the parish. This community also has a Novitiate. The Novitiate house was completed in March 2006 amid a lot of difficulties and struggles as we lost the funds, Ksh. 4 million that was meant for the purpose. Today the novices help out in the parish. They continue to visit houses and conduct BCC programmes. We also began the Holy Angel Primary School on 26th January 2007 in the same premises and have reached the 4th grade while the Nursery School continues. The community in Camp Garba works in the mission. There is a Sister in charge of the Nursery and Primary School while another teaches in the Nursery. The ‘Come and See’ centre and the Candidacy program too are in this place. There is a Sister in charge of the Dispensary and the sewing centre that provides school uniforms and clothes for the children in the mission. In addition, this gives an opportunity for the young women in the village to earn a living. In 2006 Rev. Fr. Joseph Zusa was kind enough to build a house for the Candidates.
Giving formation for Kenyan girls
Teaching in schools
Helping the needy