By Matters India Reporter
Kolkata, March 28, 2022: Sister Paul Vincent, a member of the Daughters of St Anne of Calcutta died in road accident in a remote area in West Bengal state.
Sister Vincent, a Bangladeshi native, was going home after Sunday Mass on March 27 when a motorcyclist hit from behind. She fell down and received severe injuries.
She was rushed to a hospice in Keshiary, a village in the Kharagpur subdivision of the Paschim Medinipur district of the eastern Indian state. She succumbed to her injuries a little late. She was 8o
Sister Vincent’s funeral Mass was held at 3 pm on March 28 in St. Paul the Apostle Church in Kamarchowki followed by the burial in nearby St. Anne’s Convent compound. The place is in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district, some 135 km southwest of Kolkata, the state capital.
“With this tragic loss of (Sister Vincent) the Church in West Bengal has lost a huge support for the cause of evangelization and a witness to Christ in these challenging times. May her soul rest in peace,” says Father Francis Sunil Rosario, who had known her for years.
Sister Vincent had served Kamarchowki for 25 years and stayed at the St. Anne’s Convent Kamarchowki.
In the 1970s, Sister Vincent looked after the kitchen of the newly opened Morning Star Seminary of Barrackpore near Kolkata.
The seminarian used to call her the “Martha” of Morning Star as she was sensitive to the needs of priests and the seminarians. She showed a special care to the sick and infirm, they recall.
Sister Vincent hailed from Molasikanda village in Bangladesh.
Her elder sister was Missionaries of Charity Sister Florence who joined the congregation in early 50s.
When Sister Vincent joined the Daughters of St Anne congregation, it was under the patronage of Loreto sisters. In 1968, the congregation began to function independently.
Sister Vincent believed her vocation was to teach basic catechism to children, prepare them for First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Hence she spent most of her time in rural parishes.
In the Kamarchowki parish she helped the priest in faith formation and catechetical training programs.
Sad loss. Respectful farewell to Sister Paul Vincent. Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord and let your perpetual light shine upon the departed soul.