Indian nun who served Bangladesh for 65 years dies

By Sumon Corraya

Dhaka, May 21, 2020: Sister Theonilla Arakaparambil, a Maria Bombina missionary from India who served Bangladesh for 65 years, died in a Dhaka hospital on May 19. She was 84.

Sister Arakaparambil was suffering from pneumonia, Sister Jaclin Gomes, treasurer of the congregation in Bangladesh, told Matters India on May 21.

The congregation is also known with its longer name, the Sisters of Charity of Saints Bartolomea Capitanio and Vincenza Geroza.

A statement in Bangla, sent to Matters India, says many young people joined religious life inspired by Sister Arakkaparambil’s “ideal and holy religious life.”

Sister Gomes also said that they will remember Sister Arakaparambil for her outstanding contribution to their congregation

The Indian nun, who came to Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) in December 1955, had served mostly in schools, and parishes. She was “treasurer for our congregation for a long time” Sister Gomes added.

Sister Arakaparambil was headmaster at St. Joseph’s Primary School in Goneshtola, Dinajpur, where former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia studied, Sister Gomes recalled.

“Besides a missionary, she was a skilled treasurer. She looked after all kinds of accounts, translation and land documents with skillfully,” informed Sister Gomes, who is the present treasurer of the congregation in Bangladesh.

She served for Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists beside Christians by her contribution to education. From the school, she served; many people become noble in life and serve the nation, the statement explained.

Sister Arakkaparambil’s funeral Mass took place at Sisters of Charity’s chapel and her body was buried at Tejgaon church cemetery at 10:30 on May 20.

PIME missionary Father Franco Cagnasso offered her funeral Mass.

After Sister Arakkaparambil’s death, Bangladeshi Catholics expressed their reaction on Facebook.

Catholic woman Joyanti Rozario said Sister Arakaparambil was a good nun. “I love her very much. May God give her eternal peace in heaven. I pray for her soul.”

Patrick Rodrigues, another Catholic from Dhaka, says, “Sister Arakaparambil was a good human being. She has a heart for the needy. She was pious. I can never forget her good behavior and smiling face. May Almighty God give her eternal peace in heaven.”

Holy Cross Brother Binoy Stephen Gomes says, “I pray that God may give consolation and strength to all Sisters of Charity and all her relatives that they may pass through these painful moments.”

Sister Arakaparambil was born in Cherthala town in Alapuzha district of Kerala (which was then under the Travancore kingdom) on August 5, 1935. She was among nine children of Arakaparambil Chacko and Thresiamma. Four girls and a boy joined religious life. Her brother priest died a few years ago.

Young Threresiamma Chacko, as the deceased nun was then known, joined the Sisters of Charity congregation in 1953.

She arrived in East Pakistan in 1955. East Pakistan got independence in 1971 after a bloody war and become Bangladesh.

During the war, Sister Arakaparambil stayed in Bangladesh as a committed missionary and later she obtained Bangladesh citizenship because of her love and contribution to Bangladesh.

[Sumon Corraya is a guest writer from Bangladesh. He edits www.dcnewsbd.com, an online newspaper of The Christian Co-operative Credit Union Ltd. Dhaka where he covers news on the Christian community and cooperatives sectors of Bangladesh.]