LIFE OF OUR FOUNDRESS MOTHER MARY TRESA

Mother Mary  Tresa was born on 08.01.1936 as the youngest daughter of Mr. Abraham and Mrs. Aleyamma Manimalatharappu Kottarathil of Marangattupilly Parish, diocese of Palai, Kottayam Dt. Kerala.  They were four children: Kurian, Aleyamma, Claramma and Thresiamma. Claramma and Thresiamma became religious sisters and Thresiamma modified her name as Mary Tresa. Mr.Abraham was a farmer and Aleyamma was a housewife. Thresiamma (Mother Mary Tresa) received baptism, first communion and confirmation in St. Francis Assisi Church Marangattupilly.

Her Father   was a pious, charitable man ready to help others in their needs. It was his practice to attend Holy Mass daily. If couldn’t go due to some inconvenience, he was particular to s3nd someone from the house to attend the Holy Mass. He never allowed the members of his home to criticize and accuse others for anything. If he had to go somewhere, he made it sure to make confession, receive communion and keep his address slip in his pocket. He practiced punctuality and truthfulness. He wanted his children to practice virtues and become dear to God and he was a model and inspiration for them. When he became old and couldn’t go to church, he would get up early in the morning and recite all the prayers of the Holy Mass. When problems arose among the neighboring families, they used to call Mr. Abraham to settle their problems. With God’s help he could do that. He used to keep the road from his home to the parish church always clean for others also to go to church and to the town area. Once when one of the neighborhood girls got admission for nursing in Nagpur (in Maharashtra) and she had nobody to take her and admit there, he in his generosity did that work and helped her.  

Primary and Middle School Education:

 At the time of Thresiamma’s birth her mother became very sick (a kind of skin disease), she had to lie down on banana leaves and take treatment. Thresiamma was looked after by the young sisters of her mother. She had her primary and middle school education in St.Thomas School Marangattupilly. She studied very well in the pre-primary class. Slowly her interest turned to play and other things. She and Claramma were good at singing. Their father purchased a harmonium for them and arranged a tutor also for them to practice music. They were main musicians in the church activities, programmes for the Sodality (Legion of Mary) and for the Novenas and processions in the St. Little Flower chapel of the parish. She was also interested in the school programmes and gave importance for such kind of things and spent time in practice and arrangements. So she lost interest in study.

Jesus Draws her to Himself:

She had her high school education at St.Mary’s High School Kuravilangad which is 5kms. far from her home.   Here Jesus, in his love and mercy for her, started to draw her to himself. She got much interesed in attending Holy Mass whenever there was a holiday. She started enjoying the beauty of nature and meditate on the wonderful works of God. The religious pictures in the classrooms also drew her attention and raised her heart to God. She started to give her bus fare to poor and walk to school up and down. Her interest and care in study also grew.  It was her practice to spent time before Mother Mary in the parish Church which is adjacent to the school offering her flowers and talk to her either before school hours or after the lunch along with her friends.

She also used to help her father and brother in the field to plant tapioca, ginger and to make fencing for them, to collect coconuts, to feed the goats and lambs in the bushy areas etc. and also help in the works of the paddy field. Before her brother’s marriage, her father advised her that she should love her sister-in-law and God made her to do so. She loved their son James as her younger brother and they had a deep relationship. Later he was a guardian to her.

When she passed out class X, the superior general of her sister’s congregation and CMC sisters of Kuravilangad School asked her to join their congregations. But she couldn’t decide then. One Saturday after the Sodality prayer as usual she was spending some moments in prayer before Mother Mary. Then she experienced a change in Mother Mary’s face and felt as she said, “Go and become a missionary sister”.  She didn’t know where to go. So to take a decision she spent one year in Bharanganam FCC convent as a teacher and taught in class 3 as its class teacher in their school. There she used to go to Saint Alphonsa’s tomb and attend Holy Mass daily and prayed 33 Glory be in her room in the evening. She did Hindi Preliminary privately and passed the examination. The next year, staying in the CMC convent at Thrippunithara (in Ernakulam, Kerala) she went to the Hindi College and completed Hindi Vidwan. That Holy week she felt a strong inspiration, Jesus told her, “Your next Easter should be in convent”.

She had a cousin sister in the congregation of the Catechist sisters of St. Ann, Warangal, the then Andhra Pradesh (now Telengana). So she decided to go there and made arrangements for it. She left her loving home, parents and dear ones on 27^th June 1955 and reached Reddipalem village where the congregation had its generalate and formation house. She was admitted to postulancy on 2^nd July 1955. After two weeks the authorities appointed her as a Hindi teacher in the High School there. She also had to follow the timetable of the formation house and fulfill the responsibilities.  The following was the life style of the postulants for six months: : work in the flower and vegetable garden, learn Telugu, learn by heart a parable or event from the Bible either from Old Testament or New Testament and present it in front of others. She felt that there was no spiritual life in the congregation and became anxious about it. The Lord inspired her with a strong message, “don’t get disturbed of all these things. In everything seek my will; obey the rules of the congregation and orders of the superiors with all your heart, mind and soul”. God made her to do so during the time of her formation and ahead also. After six months she had her vestition on 6^th January 1956 and her name was modified into Sr. Mary Tresa. Her father came to attend her profession and he brought the biography of St. Little Flower as she wanted him to bring it.

After vestition, she had her canonical novitiate. According to the timetable they had spiritual exercises, classes by the novice mistress, talk by a priest once a week, by heart some points about vows, guidance by the mistress etc. In the 2^nd year, all were sent for regency and Sr. Mary Tresa had to remain there. After regency with some preparations, they had their First Profession on 06.01.1958. All her batch mates were sent to different stations. Seeing the exemplary life and dedication in all matters, Sr. Mary Tresa was appointed as Asst. Mistress in the formation house. During these 8 years, besides the responsibilities of the formation house, she had to look after the boarding children and teach in the school. Jesus helped her to inspire few girls in the hostel and school to choose religious life and they became members of that congregation.  During these years she studied Hindi Visharada and Praveena privately and did her Hindi teachers’ training also. In July 1966 she was appointed as Novice Mistress for 6 years. At the end of it in the general elections she was appointed as councilor for finance. By that time the generalate was shifted to Hanamkonda and she started to live in Hanamkonda which is a town.  

Origin of the Deen Bandhu Samaj

Sr. Mary Tresa was living her life as it was told to her in the beginning of her postulancy i.e. ‘giving ear to the Holy Spirit, obeying the rules and regulations and authorities’. She was an inspiration to others and loved by everyone. The spirit of the congregation was diminishing day by day. Many were leaving their religious life. Some sisters, who wanted to live an austere and true missionary life united to the will of God and serving the poor to quench the thirst of Jesus for the souls, were pained by the situation. Few of them started to think of getting out and go  somewhere else and start a new congregation where they could fulfill their dreams.

In 1973 the following incidents happened in the congregation: Some sisters expressed their desire to Sr. Mary Tresa to take a lead to leave the congregation and start another where they could live a real missionary life united to the will of God, but she didn’t move. Three sisters – Sr. Joanna, Sr. Jerosa and Sr. Lilly- were thinking of getting out for the above purpose and wanted someone to take the initiative. So they opened their hearts to Sr. Mary Tresa. She kept silence. At the same time she tried to improve the situation of the congregation. She spoke to the Vicar General of the diocese. He asked her to speak to the superior general about it. She took the matter to the superior general in writing and presented it in the general council also. They ignored it.  Finally, Sr. Lilly took the decision to leave and informed Sr. Mary Tresa, “If you don’t take any decision, I will leave the congregation and go somewhere else”. This touched the heart of Sr. Mary Tresa very deeply.  She felt a strong inspiration in her heart that Jesus was asking her to dedicate herself to help those who really want to be a witness to him among the poor. So she decided to listen to the Lord and work out his hidden plans. The trust in the divine providence was her only guiding star. She said, “Thy will be done”.

After few days Sr. Mary Tresa thought of going to Jalandhar diocese in Punjab. So she consulted the bishop of her home diocese-Palai, Kerala. He discouraged her telling “you can go but there may be problem in getting vocations.” A rumor was also spread in the CSA congregation that the bishop of Jalandhar bribed Sr. Mary Tresa to go to his diocese. Since she did not want to bring disgrace on him she ignored that plan.

God provides her guides to go ahead.

Those days Sr. Mary Tresa being the finance councilor of the congregation had to go to Goa for a meeting on financial transactions. There she met Mr. A.K. Antony, an advocate from Hyderabad, whom she knew earlier. (Being a Catholic and a very respectful man, all the cases of churches and convents were looked after by him).  She was inspired to share with him the whole matter and seek his help. She did so and he said, “I will do everything possible for me for the success of this venture; even if we have to go to Pope, I am ready for it”. From that time she started to discuss with him about her plans and their progress.

Mr. A.K. Antony sought the guidance of Rev. Fr. Joseph Manjaly CMI (one of the first CMI missionaries of the then Chanda Province) who was staying in Hyderabad during those days, about helping Sr. Mary Tresa. Rev. Fr. Joseph appreciated him and encouraged him saying, “It is good to help in fulfilling the dreams of those who want to go ahead with high ideals and desires.” Rev. Fr. Joseph Manjaly was inspired to help Sr. Mary Tresa and went to the then Archbishop S. Arulappa of Hyderabad to take his consultation and help in this matter. The archbishop thought of giving few houses to those who wanted to live a renewed life so that they could continue their religious life in the congregation without taking dispensation. Since the other bishops were not in favor of it telling “It will hurt the CSA congregation and we should not put them in trouble”. So he could not help them. Sr. Mary Tresa also did not want to bring trouble to the CSA congregation.

 A retreat for two batches of junior sisters was going on in Reddipalem in preparation for their final profession on 06.01.1974. The junior sisters were the novices of Sr. Mary Tresa when she was novice mistress. She confirmed from them how many would be with her in the venture of starting a new congregation for living a contemplative life and to give the Good News to the poor. A few members – Srs.Lilly, Imelda, Deena, Christi, Deepa, Helen and few others also expressed their desire to join her. Some senior sisters including Sr.Eugine also gave their names. Since nothing was planned all made their final profession and went back to their respective places.  

The Holy Spirit was pushing Sr. Mary Tresa to go ahead with her plans. She planned to get out first and help others through letters. She applied for dispensation from the congregation. One of her letters to the above said sisters was caught by the authorities and they came to know the names of the members who had planned to leave and that Sr. Mary Tresa was going to start a new congregation. The bishop of Warangal Alphonsus Beretta, the CRI national president and secretary also came to Sr. Mary Tresa to stop her from this plan. But she was firm in her decision. Then the bishop told her that he would not allow all of them to go together. They would go single-single and at different times. They also had to bring either their father or brother to take them from the congregation. Hence she wrote home to her father, brother and her elder sister who was a nun. 

Sr. Mary Tresa worked in the school as a teacher from the time she joined the congregation. Since she was leaving they wanted to withdraw her GPF and Insurance and complete other formalities. So the dispensation was delayed. She was under house arrest from the time the plans were leaked out. She was confined to the chapel, dining hall and to her room. Visitors were not allowed. She couldn’t have contact with others who were to go with her.

God arranges Advocate Mr. A.K. Antony as the guardian of Sr. Mary Tresa and group

She got the dispensation letter in the last week of August and left the congregation on 29^th August 1974.  They gave her Rs.100/- for journey, 1 blouse, 2 blouse pieces and 3 cotton sarees. One sister accompanied her up to Kazipet railway station and boarded her in the train. She had no idea where she would go and what was God’s plan of continuing her religious life. She trusted in God that he would fulfill his plans in time.  Advocate Mr. A.K. Antony received her at Hyderabad station and took her his home where his wife and four children also were staying. He found out a rented room for her in a house where a lady doctor was staying with her mother. On 1^st September she was shifted to that house. He paid the rent and gave her some money for her expenses. She thanked God for all the goodness of his heart and the care he took of her. There was a church nearby and she could attend Holy Mass every day. In prayer she went on asking the Lord to reveal his plans for her, how they will be fulfilled, where to go and what to do? She trusted in the Lord that he will fulfill his plans.  She wished to attend a spiritual course to prepare herself for the next step and told Mr.Antony about her desire. He agreed to find out one course for her.

Meanwhile Advocate Mr. Antony, had shared all these matters to Rev. Fr. Antony Moozhikuzhy CMI who belonged to the Chanda CMI province. He had some idea about all these things through Sr. Eugine. So he found out from Sr.Eugine about Sr. Mary Tresa and the progress of her plans. He wrote a letter to Sr. Eugine telling that he would help to find a place for them in their diocese. She gave this letter to Sr. Mary Tresa. Rev. Fr. Antony went to the homes of Sr. Mary Tresa and Sr. Deena and convinced their parents about their leaving the congregation and they didn’t have to worry about it. He also went to meet Sr. Helen at Khammam to inform her about the progress of the plans as she could not be contacted in any other way. 

In prayer she was begging the Lord to show her the way ahead. She was inspired to go and meet Rev. Fr. Antony Moozhikuzhy at Bellampally with the letter he had written to Sr. Eugine.  She started immediately and reached at his gate at 4.00 a.m. She waited for the gate to be opened. That day father himself came to open the gate. (They had not seen each other till then). She entered in and showed him the letter. After Holy Mass and breakfast they went to meet the bishop of Chanda diocese Bishop Januarius CMI). Father explained to bishop about the intention of her coming. She requested the bishop to allow her and help her to start a congregation and to serve the poor people of his diocese. The bishop said, “Since Andhra and Chanda diocese are adjacent to one another, more sisters will get out and the bishops of Andhra and the sisters of CSA congregation will be displeased with his decision”. He suggested to Mary Tresa that Jagdalpur was a new diocese and they would be in need of sisters. So if she could approach that bishop, he might accept her. So she returned to Hyderabad.

She stayed about a month in Hyderabad. Mr. Antony could not arrange for a spiritual course. On 28^th September he said that they would go to Bangalore and search out for a course.  They reached Bangalore on 30^th. He got the information that there is a course of 8 months on ‘Social action and Community development’ in the Ecumenical Christian Centre at Whitefield, Bangalore.  They went there and she attended the interview successfully. He got her admitted there and gave some money needed for her expenses and went back to Hyderabad. They thanked the Lord for reaching her there in time. Mr. Antony felt that it happened due to the virtue of their ancestors. By God’s grace there was a Catholic priest and she was able to participate in the Holy Mass daily.

Sr.Lilly and Sr. Deepa left CSA congregation on 12^th and 15^th October1974 respectively. Sr.Lilly was doing her midwifery course after completing the general nursing. So she continued that.  Just before 15^th the Lord made a seat vacant in the course where Sr.Mary Tresa was attending. So Deepa also could get admission there. They had classes and practices in the villages. This way both of them got the experience of God’s guidance on their way. 

Sr. Deena and Sr. Christella left CSA congregation on 28^th October 1974. They were doing Diploma Course in Homeopathic Medical Sciences. They continued their study there. Mr. Antony, Advocate, Rev. Fr. Antony Moozhikuzhy, the parish priest of that area arranged a hostel for them and helped them to meet their expenses. Sr.Mary Tresa became more anxious about the future of those who were coming out to be with her. 

During the course in whitefield after 2,3 months of their admission,  Cardinal Joseph Parekkatiil came to bless the newly built chapel of Dharmaram College. Rev.Fr.Joseph Manjaly came to Whitefield from Chanda and took Sr. Mary Tresa and Deepa to Cardinal Joseph Parekkattil to speak about their future. He enquired about their desire to continue their religious life and suggested them to ask the Bishop of Jagdalpur where the service of sisters was urgently needed since that was a   new diocese.

Rev. Fr. Antony Moozhikuzy meets Bishop Paulinus

During those days Rev. Fr. M.S.Kandathil CMI from Nirmal Province, Jagdalpur, working in the Telegu area of Jagdalpur Diocese happened to meet Rev. Fr. Antony Moozhikuzhy in a retreat. While sharing about the missionary activities of their respective areas Rev.Fr.Kandathil enquired Rev. Fr. Antony about the availability of sisters who knew Telugu to work in the Telugu areas of Jagdalpur diocese. This strengthened the hope of Rev.Fr. Antony who was planning to go to Jagdalpur to meet Msgr. Paulinus Jeerakath, the exarch of Jagdalpur exarchate and he set out to Jagdalpur. They both discussed the matter and Msgr. Paulinus asked Sr.Mary Tresa to keep an application expressing her desire and intentions and describing all other matters also. Accordingly she kept the application. After few days (March 1975) she got a letter from Msgr.Paulinus inviting her to come to Jagdalpur diocese after the completion of the course and promising that a Telugu speaking area is ready for them. How wonderfully God worked out his plans for them.        

God chose Advocate Mr.A.K. Antony, a man filled with God’s love and Spirit, Rev. Antony Moozhikuzy CMI and Rev. Fr. Joseph Manjaly CMI to start Deen Bandhu Samaj. He put in them the desire to follow the inspirations God gave them and they dedicated themselves to fulfill God’s plan in this matter. It looked like a miracle that Rev. Fr. Joseph came from Chanda and took us to Dharmaram College, talked for us to Cardinal, arranged for us to meet him and to get his blessings and suggestions. With the blessings of Cardinal Joseph Parekkattil from Kerala and Bishop Januarius from Chanda, Maharashtra and through the permission letter from Bishop Paulinus Jeerakath CMI which was sent in March 1975, God allowed the Deen Bandhu Samaj to be born in the diocese of Jagdalpur.

Reaching Konta with Rev. Fr. Joseph Manjaly

The Community development course which Sr.Mary Tresa and Sr. Deepa were doing got over on 31^st May 1975. They reached back Hyderabad on 1^st June. Sr.Lilly was waiting for them after the completion of her midwifery course. On 2^nd June they started their journey with Rev. Fr. Joseph Manjaly and reached Chatti the border of Bhadrachalam, Khammam district and Konta of Bastar district at night. They spent the night in a lodge because there were no conveyance facilities to cross the border. In the morning on 3^rd March they arranged a bullock cart and reached Konta a newly started mission station of Jagdalpur diocese which was intended for Sr. Mary Tresa and team. Rev. Fr. Thomas Poothakuzhy was the priest in-charge of the mission station. He welcomed them and gave the house where he was staying to the sisters and entrusted the sisters the services they are to do for that locality.   

How marvelous are the deeds of the Lord.  God brought Sr.Mary Tresa and her group to the place where he wanted them to live for his glory and to bear witness to him and to give his Good News through various activities.

Rev. Fr. Thomas Poothakuzhy was taking the pastoral care of the Catholics at Konta and Sukma mission stations. After our coming he was entrusted with our spiritual well-being, look after the works for the village development and to help us in our daily needs.   

……… will continue their missionary activities.