Sr M Shanthi BS
Superior
Members of the Community
Convent building
Bethany Lay Associates
Catechesis
Pastroral Ministry
It was the early 1960’s. The Holy Cross Fathers were running hostels for boys and girls studying in St John’s High School, Kolasib, Mizoram. It was then the Mizo District Council within the state of Assam. Aizawl was the District Headquarters. Mizo means highlander and it was to this highland that an invitation came to Bethany in the year 1962 through the then Internuncio Rt Rev. Dr James Knox, to assist the Holy Cross Fathers in St John’s High School and manage the hostel for girls at Kolasib. In response, Mgr Breen, the Apostolic Prefect of Halflong Prefecture, invited the Bethany Sisters to serve this cause. Mother Macrina, the then Superior General, and her Councillors lost no time to survey the place in 1961. In spite of learning about the political unrest and backwardness in the place, Bethany Sisters resolved to take up the North East Mission pioneered by Sr Misericors, Sr Dolora, Sr Inviolata and Sr Sylvine on 28 June 1962. Thus, began the education ministry of Bethany at Kolasib and the Madonna Convent was opened in July 1962. This continues to remain as the first house of the Congregation in the North East.
Great minds are always optimistic. It was then on 7 November 1962, Sisters made a day’s journey to the District Head quarters, then Aizawl, and sought permission to open an English Medium Nursery and Middle School. Permission was granted on 15 January 1963. As a consequence St Maria Goretti School was established the same year with a strength of 72 students. Sr Misercors was appointed the first Headmistress. This mighty Madonna Convent had to go through a lot of turmoil as Mizoram was transformed from the status of a district to union territory (1972) and then to statehood (16-12-1987) all under the pressure of Mizo National Front (MNF) insurgency. Against all odds Sr Lillis and Sr Justinian (headmistress) moved officially and upgraded the school from Grant- in-aid system to Deficit system in March 1986. The education ministry of Madonna Convent fulfilled the dream to help the drop outs by obtaining the permission to start National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) in the year 1988 for Secondary and Senior Secondary. Initially a small room of St Maria Goretti School was utilized for the purpose. All the same, with the passage of time, Madonna Convent has built a very good infrastructure for the school, hostel, NIOS and sisters’ residence. To fulfill the growing needs of the hostel and the sisters residence, necessary facilities are added due to the hard work of the past superiors and headmistresses. The sisters of the Madonna Convent and the people remain ever indebted to them.
Sisters of Madonna Convent are engaged in different ministries like hostel, family visits, NIOS, youth ministry, teaching catechism, Bethany Lay Association, Pastoral care and others. At present, there are nine sisters residing in Madonna Convent and Sr Shanthi D’ Souza is the Superior and Headmistress. Two sisters are working in St John’s Higher Secondary School in collaboration with Montfort Brothers. Two sisters are serving in NIOS educating the student dropouts. Four sisters are working in St Maria Goretti School educating more than 1,150 students from classes K.G to Class VIII with two sections each. Sr Peace, 96 years old is in the ministry of praying for blessings from God on the mission. She has worked tirelessly for Bethany especially at Madonna Convent Kolasib for the past 35 years and today she remains a great source of inspiration for the younger generation. Madonna Convent has cordial relations with the neighboring people and the Religious.
Year of establishment : 28.06.1962