By Sr. Shanty Chacko, Province of Southwest India
On November 18 of this year, the Good Shepherd mission in Bellary, India, stepped into the threshold of the 150th jubilee year of our presence there.
The inauguration of the sesquicentennial celebration began with Sr. Lissy Chacko, Province Leader, welcoming sisters from Manvi, Madhalur, and Chikkahesarur communities and partners-in-mission from across Karnataka to a thanksgiving prayer service, which was presided over by Bishop of Bellary Henry D’Souza.
The opening procession saw Sr. Lissy and the local leaders of the four communities carrying the jubilee candles, followed by 16 priests from neighboring parishes and congregations who concelebrated at the Mass.
Leader of the Bellary community, Sr. Shanty Chacko, spoke about how, in 1875, a group of sisters from France, who were already serving in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, arrived in Bellary, Karnataka, driven by our fourth vow of zeal to extend the compassion of Jesus the Good Shepherd to the most vulnerable.
They opened a fee-paying school for boarders and day students; however, the Southern India famine of 1876 – 1878 caused many children to become orphans. In 1878, the sisters opened an orphanage and a school for these poor and destitute children to respond to their needs.
The annals of the Good Shepherd Convent recount the harrowing plight of these famine orphans, as they were known, as ‘most of these destitute children who were orphaned were wasted to mere skeletons and their clothing in rags and their bodies ulcerated.’ But the sisters nursed them with compassion and restored most of them to a new and dignified life.
Over the course of the years, the Good Shepherd campus became a beehive of activities with residential care services for orphans, education for boarders and day students, and other residential and social outreach services for troubled teenagers and women victims of gender-based violence. A bakery and an industrial School were opened to give the senior girls and women some skill training and to make them financially self-supporting.
Inspired by post-Vatican II reforms, the sisters discerned new ways of serving marginalized communities, which saw them transitioning from semi-cloistered residential ministries to new outreach programs and social action ministries in Manvi, Madlur, and Chikkahesarur, seeking out those at the margins of society, in particular devadasi girls who were forced into situations of prostitution.
Following Sr. Shanty’s sharing about the previous 150 years, the jubilee candles were lit, and the sisters renewed their vows before all present sat together to enjoy a fellowship meal. As a symbol of this journey, the jubilee candles will burn throughout the year in all four communities, embodying prayers and intentions for the mission in Bellary.
This event was more than just a commemoration of the past – it was a springboard for the future calling us to renew our zeal and embrace our mission with even greater fervor. From the humble beginnings of a small community responding to the pressing needs of famine-stricken orphans to a vibrant mission extending its reach to distant shores, this has truly been a story of God’s providence and grace at work.
As we embark on this new chapter, we do so with deep gratitude for the pioneers, collaborators, benefactors, clergy, government officials, and every individual living or passed away who contributed to support the work of this mission in one way or another. Their sacrifices and vision challenge us to be faithful stewards of the Good Shepherd’s love, carrying forward this legacy to touch the lives of future generations.
We pray this jubilee year is a time of grace, renewal, and recommitment for all who share in this mission. Together, we continue to build a legacy of service and solidarity, ensuring that the Good Shepherd’s love reaches every corner of society. With gratitude for the past, hope for the future, and joy in the present, we proclaim: “To God alone be the glory!“
