New Developments from the Consoling Sisters of the Sacred Heart in India

Dear friends in Christ,

This year, the annual retreat of the Consoling Sisters was preached by Fr. James Peek from St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Dillwyn, Virginia on the theme “The Parables of Our Lord”.

Father spent five beautiful days unearthing the treasures hidden in these parables. This greatly helped our sisters to understand more deeply the Heart of Our Savior and thus to love Him more. We are truly grateful to Father for transmitting to us this “eminent knowledge of Christ”!

Another school year has ended and a new one has begun. The girls were on summer vacation from Easter until the first week of June. Some of the girls return to their homes for vacation and others stay here. Some leave for the entire vacation and others for one or two weeks. Before they went home, 26 of them followed an Ignatian Retreat preached by Fr. Theresian. It was a very good retreat and also very useful, for most of them go out into the world where many temptations await them during their vacation.

Also at Easter, one of our workers became a Catholic, after abjuring the errors of Protestantism.

In April, we welcomed three new children: Manjula, Fathima, and her little brother Marcel, who is only 3-and-a-half.

Manjula has no mother and her father is a drunkard with no home. They lived in the street, and he would send Manjula to beg. She was found begging in the train station and was sent here. She is 9 years old and has never been to school.

Fathima and Marcel have no mother either, and their father used to leave them home alone while he went off to work. The authorities brought them here and asked us to look after them temporarily. Marcel loves to hang on Fr. Hattrup’s arm. The second he sees him, he runs to him and holds out his arms, asking him to pick him up.

On the feast of Pentecost, two of our sisters, Sr. Maria Celina and Sr. Maria Theresa, renewed their vows for 3 years.

Thank you for your unfailing support. After a hectic beginning of the year, we are a little more settled in. The school year begins in June here, and at the end of September, after the first trimester exams, the children have ten days of vacation. Most of the girls go home but about 20 to 25 stayed here. We thus took them out on day-long excursions to the science center and the seaside.

On the beautiful feast of the Assumption, Gloria received the sacrament of baptism, for which she had been preparing for a long time. Unfortunately, her mother passed away in June. May Our Lady watch over her from Heaven.

Thank you for your faithful help. Please continue to pray for us and for the children.

In Jesus and Mary,

Sr. Maria Immaculata, local Superior of the Consoling Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesu