India: Women religious at Forefront of Social Action
The Daughters of the Heart of Mary have “trained a workforce within the church to create a justice-based society,” said Sr. Maria Nirmalini, president of the Conference of Religious India, the national body of Catholic religious in the country.
Nirmalini, a member of the Congregation of the Apostolic Carmel, describes social work as a major mission of the church where hundreds of religious work to empower the poor.
Daughter of the Heart of Mary Sr. Philomena D’Sa (Thomas Scaria)
Sr. Philomena D’Sa, provincial of the Daughters of the Heart of Mary’s southern province, said her congregation’s main apostolate in India is to train social workers, especially nuns and priests.
Men and women from various congregations who attended their two colleges of social work now head thousands of projects at the grassroots across India, she said, and many alumni have started nongovernmental organizations and community-development programs.
“We are happy that they stand for justice, peace and equality, the core values of social work,” D’Sa told Global Sisters Report.
Source: Global Sisters Report
