Book on nuns’ valiant struggle against archdiocese released

By Anand Mathew

Varanasi, June 26, 2022: A book on the unusual struggle of a group of Catholic nuns against an archdiocese and their congregation was launched June 26 during a virtual function.

The book, “My Prophetic Struggle, The Narakkal Story,’ written jointly by Carmelite Sister Annie Jaise and feminist theologian Kochurani Abraham, was released by Sister Elsa Muttathu, the national secretary of the Conference of Religious of India. The first copy was received by Jesuit Father T K John, a veteran theologian.

The two-hour function from 5 pm was organized by the publisher, the Forum of Religious for Justice and Peace (FORUM).

The book tells the heartrending story of a struggle by a group of six nuns, including the author, belonging to the Amala province of the Congregation of Mother Carmel.

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate Father Jacob Peenikaparambil, who has played a major role in the publication of this book, introduced it narrating the unusual events that occurred during 2007 and 2015 in Narakkal, a suburb of Kochi, Kerala.

The nuns’ struggled to regain the ownership of Little Flower Girls High School from the Narakkal parish which had forged documents with the connivance of some officers of the education department to misappropriate the school’s management and ownership.

The authorities of the Carmelite congregation, who supported the Narakkal sisters initially, turned against them later because of the pressure from the bishops and the clergy. They joined with the Narakkal parish in persecuting their sisters. The authorities even tried to dismiss them from the congregation when harassment and persecution failed, Father Peenikaparambil recalled.

The six sisters faced the humiliations and persecutions with courage and determination by taking recourse to judicial process with the help of an expert team of lawyers, the Carmelite priest said.

At the end, the Supreme Court of India gave the verdict that the school belongs to the Narakkal convent. Under a court intervened amicable settlement with the authorities of the congregation, the six sisters led by Sr. Annie Jaise handed over all documents and cash and bank deposit of 6 million to the new team of sisters.

They then accepted their new appointments in different convents. “Thus they proved the purity of their intention that they had no vested interest other than triumph of justice and truth,” Father Peenikaparambil said.

However, the story continued as their congregation, violating the terms of settlement, decided to close down the Narakkal convent and hand over two schools and the property either to the Narakkal parish or to the archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.

They have not succeeded yet because of the Supreme Court verdict and the interventions by Sister Annie Jaise and team. The struggle is still going on.

The story exposes the fear and slavery of some women religious congregations within the Catholic Church in India. The story unravels the greed, treachery and cruelty of those who are expected to be shepherds of the people of God, speakers said at the function.

Sister Annie Jaise narrated the story to Kochurani Abraham, a supporter of the Narakkal sisters in their struggle. The theologian then has put the story in writing.

The book has two parts. The first part, consisting of 10 chapters, deals with origin, process and consequences of the struggle. The second part consists of 6 annexures with significant documents that form the basis and the reason for the struggle.

Besides acknowledgement, introduction, preface and ten chapters on the struggle, the last chapter is under the title, Gender, Power and the Price of Prophecy in the Church written by Kochurani Abraham. It explains the implications of the struggle of the six sisters in relation to gender and power relations in the Church and the relevance and consequence of playing the prophetic role by the disciples of Jesus.

This book provides a number of lessons for the women religious in India in the process of empowering themselves in order to become radical disciples of Jesus by following his prophetic path, said Sister Dorothy Fernandez, the national convener of the Forum while welcoming the 82 participants.

“Often women Religious in the Church become incapable of being true to their prophetic call of following Jesus. This book is an effective tool for all women religious who take on the unjust and oppressive forces within the mighty structures of the Church, religious life and society at large. Therefore book is an inspiration for all seekers of truth and justice,” Sister Fernandes said.

Father Peenikaparambil in his foreword to the book said: “I am optimistic that reading this book will motivate hundreds of women and men, especially women religious, to get out of the shell of a devotee of Jesus and become a radical disciple of Jesus. If this metamorphosis can take place, the Church in India will be blessed.”

Father T K John said that the book reiterates equality, liberty and fraternity as fundamental principles for a meaningful religious life.

Speaking on her objective of writing this book, the author, Sister Annie Jaise said that she wrote the book without any malice or bitterness to anyone. Her attempt was to document the way the Grace of God ultimately brought justice.

Appreciating the author’s prophetic stand, Father Varghese Alengaden, the director of Indore-based Universal Solidarity Movement, said that hundreds of religious sisters suffer in the male dominant and patriarchal Church. The book, he added, is a must read for all the religious especially those in leadership. The book is a call to the renewal of the Church — to repent and return to Christ, the revolutionary leader who fought against injustice, he added.

Astrid Lobo, a feminist theologian moderated a panel discussion during the virtual function in which Sister Nancy Vaz, a former provincial of the Canossian sisters. commenting on the prophetic stand of the CMC sisters, said that the evangelical counsel of obedience cannot be blind, but just and conscientious.

Montfort Brother Varghese Theckanath, former national president of CRI, said that the Church in India is going through a crisis of statesmanship among its leaders. Many leaders give more importance to their institutions and thus they fail to see the common good.

“If religious life has to have some relevance, we need to relive the charisma, by being prophetic and by being salt on the earth. For this the religious have to abandon the institutions,” Brother Theckanath asserted.

The book is of 198 pages and is priced at 250 rupees. Copies can be availed by sending email requests to jacobpt48@gmail.com.