By Purushottam Nayak
Daringbadi, March 28, 2020: Hundreds of Marian devotees in Odisha have mourned the death of a woman who was instrumental in setting up the only shrine dedicated to the Blessed Virgin in the eastern Indian state.
Agnes Nayak of Partama, a member of the Our Lady of Rosary Parish Daringbadi under Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Odisha, died at 5 pm on March 27, at residence near the Marian Shrine of Partama. The Hindu convert to Catholicism, popularly known as “Ma Agnes,” was 82. She was a diabetic patient.
The shrine is some 250 km southwest of Bhubaneswar, the state capital.
Only a few of her relatives could attend her funeral held within two hours of the death because of the 21-day nationwide lockdown imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to contain the spread of coronavirus.
“We are deeply sad that Ma (mother) Agnes has let us for her heavenly home,” said Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar in his condolence message. The Divine Word prelate hailed the woman as the mediator in making Mother Mary recognized and revered as Partama.May.
“May God grant her eternal reward, companionship of Mother Mary and consolation to all her near and dear ones,” the archbishop said.
Reboti Nayak, the woman’s daughter, told Matters India that her mother had foretold her relatives that she would die only on a Friday, which is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Ma Agnes, as the woman was popularly known, was born as Kamoladevi in a Hindu family. She had married Sippienda Nayak and gave birth to three sons and a daughter. Her husband died in early 1990s.
As a widow on March 5, 1994, she went to Partama Mountain to collect wood. She claimed that a man in white dress sporting beard and long hair had come closer to her. He disappeared after sometimes.
Then a beautiful woman from distance called her and told her to request the local Catholic priest to build a church to pray Rosary for the sinners to repent.
The woman’s Hindu neighbours laughed at her when she first shared the experience with them.
Another day, a 12-year-boy came to Kamoladevi and asked her to go to the mountain. When she went there the woman appeared again and told her, “I am Mother of Jesus, pray Rosary daily to build the Kingdom of God where peace, joy, love, justice, truth and fraternity will be established.”
The woman took courage and told the then parish priest Father Alphonse Baliarsingh about her experience. The priest made a committee and built a small grotto near a Banayan tree where Mother Mary had appeared.
People soon began flocking to the mountain that was renamed “Mother Mary of Partama.” Kamoladevi was later baptized as Agnes.
“She was our inspiration and model to repent for our sins and come back to the Lord,” said Jisaya Nayak, 36 the head of the village.
She is survived by sons — Dilip Nayak, 40, Jacob Nayak, 38, Sudho Nayak, 34 — and daughter Reboti Nayak, 30.
The parish priest said the woman was deeply spiritual. Many Catholics went to her to pray for their various intentions. She spent most of her time in reciting rosary and praying in the shrine.
Bachan Baliarsingh, a Catholic youth, says he started visiting Ma Agnes when he was in the fourth grade. “I visited her on March 5 every year, the feast of Partama pilgrimage to do well in my studies,” said the young man who now teaches in a school in neighboring Andhra Pradesh state.
Christo Baliarsingh and his wife Nillondi Baliarsingh from Mardiponka village of Saramuli parish too mourned Agnes’ death.
“Maa Agnes prayed to God through the intercession of Mother Mary and we got a baby girl after eight years of our marriage,” the husband told Matters India. Their daughter completed tenth grade this year.