Sr M Anna Marak BS
Superior
Members of the Community
Pre-novices
Convent building
Bethany Lay Association
Pastoral ministry
Educational ministry
Orientation programme for student
The year 2016 is the Silver Jubilee year of the Bethany Sisters mission at Behala, in Kolkata, West Bengal. It all began with a dream of late Shri Biren Roy, an ex-parliamentarian and a philanthropist and a well known resident of Behala, to start an English medium School in Behala. He offered a four storied skeletal structure to the Archbishop of Calcutta to start the school. The Archbishop Most Rev Henry D’ Souza invited the Bethany Sisters to run the institution for the Archdiocese. According to the wish of the donor the School was named Meghmala Roy Education Centre in memory of his wife.
Thus, in the year 1991 on 7 June Sr Lillis, the then Provincial Superior of the North East Province, with the consent of the Superior General of Bethany Mother Sylvine, established the Sacred Heart Convent Behala with Sr Hildigard as the first Superior and Headmistress and Sr Mildred, Sr Sabina D’Souza and Sr Clara Mendonca as the members. Fr John Noronha, the parish priest of Infant Jesus Church, Behala, was instrumental in acquiring this building and in the process, he had to face lot of hurdles from the neighbours in settling land disputes.
The Sisters were assigned the responsibility of managing the School for the Archdiocese of Calcutta. The Sisters also rendered pastoral care to the catholic community of the Infant Jesus Parish, Behala. The parish priests and their assistants have been very cooperative and supportive in our mission. Initially the Sisters stayed in a house near the Parish Church as the school construction work was in progress. Bethany Congregation bought a house adjacent to the school building for formation of Pre-Novices in1991. Thereafter, the sisters from the parish were shifted to this house until the construction was over in January 1992. There is no separate Convent building. So a part of the top most 4th floor of the School building is set aside for the Sisters’ residence.
Besides education, Sisters take active part in the church activities like preparing the children for the sacraments, teaching Christian doctrine, guiding children and youth in prayer, choir and other liturgical celebrations. Visiting the families especially the aged, sick and the ailing, and taking Holy Communion to those who are home bound are some of the other activities the sisters engage in. There is a good rapport with the Parish Community and the priests.
Year of establishment: 07.06.1991