“What is your liberative work today,” used to be the encouraging question Sr. Nirmala, MC would ask me after the Eucharist whenever I was invited to celebrate the Mass at Missionaries of Charity contemplative branch chapel.

I used to hesitate to share the mission I am entrusted with by the Society of Jesus with Social Action and especially about our interventions and actions with regard to Right To Food/Work movement in West Bengal.

The simple reason for hesitation was, she is a contemplative sister and would like me to pray and spend time in front of Eucharistic Lord as a priest than being on streets and shouting slogans for food for the hungry, like some other religious reminded me often.

On the contrary she told me, “It is important work and you should demand on behalf of the hungry people, food and basic needs from the government the ‘duty bearer.’

Enthused with such encouraging words and supportive prayer, I used to share with her the strategies and works of our co-activists for food. She used hear me patiently and encourage me to give self untiringly.

She used to encourage the contemplative sisters to pray along with her.

Once I preached to the sisters on ‘Jesus Prayer’ and how to be in the presence of the Lord at all time and after the Mass the sisters told me that they were well integrated in Jesus Prayer and much more.

For me as a priest to celebrate the Eucharist in front of Sr. Nirmala and the contemplative sisters was a privilege and grace-filled movement. Not only because of their holiness but also I could see joy and life in the eyes and face of every sister.

And my sharing after the Gospel had always some action filled narration of what happened in the recent past, which reflected the Gospel passage. Sr. Nirmala would always say some encouraging words on my reflection.

Whenever I lead a team from West Bengal for a rally at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for Food Rights, I used to enter the convent before boarding the train at Sealdha Train Station.

She would encourage us all and assure of her prayerful support. We have been actively participating in the rallies and dharna (sit-in) at Jantar Mantar and other places so long without much ‘incidents’, thanks to the powerful prayers of Sr. Nirmala and her contemplative sisters.

On June 12 this year, I was asked for a special Mass at St. John’s, on the feast of Sacred Heart. It was 40th year of the founding of the branch of contemplatives of the Missionaries of Charity. It was a joy for the sisters and me to celebrate the 40 graced years with the founder of the branch, Sr.Nirmala.

I realized how integrated ‘contemplative in action,’ Sr. Nirmala was. I derived a lot of courage, strength in her presence and knew she was praying for us.

In the last two years, after every conversation with her, I used to feel that she is constantly reminding me of Pope Francis’s Message, “I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.”

I am sure, now we have a strong advocate in Heaven pleading for the cause of the poor and the marginalized. Good bye Sr.Nirmala.

(Fr.Irudaya Jothi SJ, is the director of Udayani Social Action Forum is Social Action wing of the Jesuits of Calcutta province. Since last one decade also it has moved from development model to Rights Based Model. It takes the lead in the West Bengal along with like-minded Activists and NGOs for Right To Food/Work movement. The state government has appointed Udayani to in the Vigilance and Monitoring committee on Public Distribution System in two districts and four Sub-divisions as NGO representative. As a net work member with the National RTF movement, Fr Jothi is a national steering committee member who plans with the national team for Lobbying and Advocacy for the food movement. Udayani has been involved at different levels to NFSA bill in to a law in 2013 and since then working for the implementation of the same in the states. )