Sr M Sumitha BS
Superior
Members of the Community
Convent building
Vocational training centre
Tailoring classes
Knitting - Lumding
Lumding is a small town. It is also an important railway junction in Nagaon District of Assam. Avila Convent Lumding came into existence on 10 January 1979 due to the pressing need to accommodate the Sisters moving on that route. The Catholic Mission started in 1976 was looking for a religious congregation of women to assist them and the choice fell on Bethany. Immediately Bishop of Tezpur, Most Rev Joseph Mittathany, invited the Bethany Sisters to open the Convent in Lumding. So on 10 January 1979, the first batch of sisters arrived and a convent was opened with Sr Eva as the Superior. Sr Oswine, Sr AP Theresa and Sr Tresa Monica were the other members of this community. Fr Augustine the Parish priest welcomed them.
The Parish and the School started in the year 1976. The Convent is located about two Kilometres from the Lumding Railway Station. In the beginning the sisters stayed in the School building till the Convent was built.
The opening of Avila Convent served the needs of the Kingdom and that of the Congregation. It met the educational needs of the people of Lumding, the special needs of a few Catholics settled there. It also served as a transit house for the sisters travelling to and from Nagaland to Silchar and to Guwahati. The sisters visited the families after the school hours and prayed for the family members and comforted the sick.
The history of Lumding is incomplete without mentioning the names of Mr and Mrs Baruah, who helped to procure the land from the railways on which stands the present Church, School and the Convent. The Bishop constructed a simple Convent building for the sisters.
As time passed by Bethany wanted to help the rural poor. So in 1989 the Jeevan Jyothi Vocational Training Centre (JJVTC) was set up by Sr Lillis, the then Provincial Superior of North East Vice Province. Sr Suman was the first Directress of the Centre and she worked tirelessly to develop it. At the Centre girls were taught literacy, tailoring, knitting, and home management so that they could earn their living. At present Sr Leena Serrao is the Directress of JJVTC and Sr Assumpta Maria is assisting in the Centre.
In the year 1992 the Hostel for the girls was opened to cater to the needs of the parents from the villages who wanted to educate their children in Don Bosco School Lumding. Life in Lumding is not always smooth going. Yet the sisters continue to give their best to the Mission. Many Fathers have passed through the Lumding Mission and all of them were kind and benevolent.
The past Superiors of the Convent were Sr Eva, Sr Rose Margaret, Sr Hildigard, Sr Melita, Sr Elizabeth, Sr Conelly, Sr Titus, Sr Suman and Sr Margaret Mary. Sr Shareena is the Superior at present. Five sisters render service in Avila Convent, two sisters in the JJVTC and three in the School. Sr Sumitha is the Headmistress of the School and Sr Shareena is in-charge of the Primary School. Sr Aquinas is in-charge of the K.G section.
A new convent building was erected by the Archbishop of Guwahati. On 15 October 2014 was the blessing and inauguration of the new building. The same day the Silver Jubilee of the Jeevan Jyothi vocational Centre was also celebrated. It was a memorable day for the girls and the sisters at the JJV Centre.
Thirty seven years have gone by and the mission has withstood all storms and political unrest. It still continues to serve the people of Lumding with the Divine Assistance of the Lord and the Blessed Mother.
Year of establishment: 10.01.1979