By Sr. Teresa Joseph fma –
The History of the FMA in Northern India unfolds in a vivid and dynamic manner the life and mission of the Salesian Sisters from the arrival of the pioneer FMA missionaries to Gauhati: 8th December 1923-1983. These three volumes offer 60 years of history penned with loving passion and untiring dedication by Euginia Laloo FMA, Lily Perumpettikunnel FMA, and Penny Rose Chinir FMA. It is the fruit of their six years of patient labour. Excerpts from an interview with Sr. Euginia Laloo:
What do you cherish the most at heart as you have accomplished the great task of bringing to light these volumes of History of the FMA in Northern India?
The spirit of collaboration, pooling of our strengths and mutual support as we complemented each other in realising this project. Going through the archives of the Communities, of the Provinces and the archives at our Generalate in Rome, it seemed to us we were living those moments concretely as we scanned through the rich and abundant material.
The ardent missionary spirit that was so alive in the Sisters urged them even to the point of forgetting themselves for the love of Jesus. There was close collaboration with the Salesians who were instrumental in bringing our fma pioneers to Northern India. Though the Sisters were new to the place, culture, language and traditions, they immediately plunged themselves into the mission among the people. “Despite the initial attitude of coldness from the villagers, soon they made a feast for the sisters and even invited them to revisit them.” In all humility, I can say that this publication is a fitting tribute of gratitude as we celebrate the Centenary of the arrival of our FMA Pioneers.
Could you share a bit on the courage and daring spirit of our six pioneers who arrived in Gauhati?
Led by the Spirit of the Lord, powered by prayer, spurred on by the ‘Give me souls take away the rest’ of Don Bosco and with unlimited trust in divine providence, our 6 pioneers showcased the best of their creativity to rise up to every situation. They made mattresses out of pine tree leaves, cultivated their kitchen garden, made furniture with bamboo and on one fine day when a large number of guests turned up, the Sisters were so creative that they put one pot on top of the other and got the lunch ready in no time.
How did the FMA Charism take its root in Northern India?
In creative fidelity to the Salesian Charism – gift of the Spirit to Don Bosco and like St. Mary Mazzarello our Co-Foundress who gave a feminine slant to it, our pioneer fma did offer their personal contribution to make the charism to take root in Northern India.
The implantation of the fma charism took shape bringing to light “the legacy of the Salesian preventive System, lived in a typical feminine style, in diverse socio-political, socio-cultural and socio-ecclesial contexts. Adapting themselves to the environment and the resources within their reach, they nurtured and fostered the charism inserting themselves in the local church, through varied apostolate, according to the signs of the time, in the spirit of Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello.”
We found that the richness of our Institute cannot be kept only for ourselves. These three volumes of the History of the FMA in Northern India will certainly help to keep alive the missionary ardour of our origins. Of course, it will be a source of inspiration and motivation to live the fma educative mission, being for the young a life-giving presence.