Bangalore (India), 10/06/2020, Srs. of India.- I am Sr. Deepa, Provincial Superior of the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation in India. We, the Dominican Sisters are an International Congregation. The Province of India has communities both in India as well as in South Korea.
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Our Mission is to Praise, Bless and Preach Jesus Christ through Education, Health Ministry and Social Services. In order to protect ourselves from Corona virus, in India a complete lockdown was declared on March 29, 2020. Then the construction workers, daily wage earners, migrants and people on the street were all left hungry, homeless and without money. The immediate need of the hour was their need for food.
:- Our day begins at 6:00 am in the morning when everyone gathers in the chapel and invokes the name of Jesus before the Blessed Sacrament and this Hour of Adoration is done specifically for the people who are suffering from Corona virus as well as for the people who are suffering because of the effects of the corona virus, especially those who are hungry, those who are starving and those who are unable to get one meal per day.
: - Once the prayer is over, there is a rush to the kitchen. It’s time to cook our meals to be distributed. The aspirants and sisters get going with cutting vegetables, cleaning and washing and then, the cooking begins. It is 10:30 a.m. - time for packing. Everyone in the house gathers together for this work. There is lot of joy in doing this for the people.
:- Once the packing is done, all the food items and all the provisions are loaded in the vehicle and the vehicle is mastered by our Provincial Superior, Sr. Deepa at the wheel and the sisters along with her and they are ready for their departure to the different places to distribute the food packets.
;- The food is distributed at different locations. We begin from KR Puram railway station. On the way there are a number of beggars and migrants who are walking on the street; we stop our vehicle for every one we meet.
:- With great appreciation, I must say that the Dominican sisters of the Presentation have done a wonderful work here, in Bangalore. Not only during the Covid – 19, but they have reached out to the poor, they have reached out through education and the work they are doing in the medical field.
:- Covid-19 was a call, a challenge for me to reach out to the people in need. As a Province, we tried to reach out as much as we could and be part of the people who are suffering.
:- During the lockdown, sisters are providing us with rice, pulses and biscuits. All I want to say is thank you.
:- To accomplish this mission, we got a lot of generous help: from Dream India network, Mr. Sunil Menon and his team, Jesus Youth Group and from Marie Poussepin Lay Associates, as well as from many generous hands who came forward to respond to the needs of the people. Also, we were helped by our sisters from the different communities in various parts of India as well as our sisters who are in South Korea.
After getting the needed permission, we, the Dominican Sisters were able to distribute food packets. In addition, we also distributed 975 grocery kits and more than 3000 masks to all the people who needed it in and around Bangalore. I invite each one of you who is listening to me, to come and take up this challenge; let’s move forward; let’s face this together; let’s join hands with all who are suffering; they need us; we need them. Let us move together to proclaim Jesus. Praise the Lord.
:- Blessed Marie Poussepin, our Foundress invites us to go out and do all that charity will inspire us. During this Year of Grace of the Beatification of Marie Poussepin, we are strengthened and motivated by her love and compassion for the suffering humanity, as she well manifested in Sainville.