Sr M Theresa Simon BS
Superior
Members of the Community
Ist Year Novice
Novitiate Staff
Convent building
Tailoring Classes
Health Education
Bethany cottage, Barasat was inaugurated on 5 May 1997. Rev Sr Edleburgh, the Provincial Superior of North East Province, Sr Noeline Asst. Provincial, Sr Joy Novice Directress and Sr Nora were present for the event, along with many sisters from neighboring communities.
Bethany cottage was opened with a purpose of providing initial formation to candidates of Northeast province. Sr Mary Laldikzuali and Sr Sangeetha were the pioneers. The property with two houses was purchased from a Marwari family through the instrumentality of Mr. George Philip an Industrialist, a friend of the religious. On 11 January 2001, another adjacent small plot of land was purchased and again on 22 April 2007, another small plot was purchased.
On 13 June 1997 Community was canonically erected under the leadership of Sr Leena Serrao. Sr Sumitha took over formation of candidates. Sr praxides as member of the community rendered her services to Morning star College as secretary to the Rector from 1999 to 2002.
Sisters started visiting the villages and initiated the work of women – organizations with the support of the Panchayat Pradhan and ward members. The sisters took up mobile health care services to ten villages. It is worth mentioning the free services of Dr B N Gosh, the Director of Gosh Nursing Home Barasat, who generously came to render medical services in the villages. In the subsequent years Self-help groups were initiated. As a result many women are empowered and have become self reliant.
From 2005, skill training of women, in tailoring and animal husbandry were introduced through a 2 year project funded by Caritas India through the Functional Vocational Training Forum (FVIF.) Bangalore. This project brought in a lot of positive changes among villages and women came forward to utilize employment opportunities through the six months course in tailoring. This particular training continues even today. Spoken English classes are conducted to the neighbouring youth. Sisters by making use of the Government resources have helped the women to develop a lot of leadership qualities among the women.
The sisters have become more involved in the parish by attending Sunday Mass, parish celebrations, taking membership in the Parish Council and teaching catechism to children. Sr Clara during her stay at Bethany Cottage has rendered valuable service in conducting social orientation programmes to the seminarians at Morning Star, Barackpore, Novices and Pre-Novices of Bethany, thus instilling missionary zeal in the formees.
In 2006 the Bethany Cottage was offered a God given surprise in the form of Limerick Ireland Calcutta calling group a Voluntary group of Catholic Donors for the support of the developmental activities of the sisters in the villages. With their annual monitoring visits they have committed themselves in supporting the entire socio medical Programme.
At present Sr. Ottilia is the Superior and Sr Therese Simon and Sr Hilda Paula are the members. They are devoting themselves totally for the cause of the poor.
Year of establishment : (13.06.1997)