By Purushottam Nayak
Jatni, Nov 6, 2022: The first Catholic nun from Odisha’s Kandhamal region thanks God for accompanying her in her 50 years of religious life.
About 50 people, 27 nuns and 7 priests attended the November 5 thanksgiving Mass of Sister Florentia Digal, a member of the Daughters of Charity congregation.
The Mass was presided over by Divine Word Archbishop John Barwa Cuttack-Bhubaneswar at Jatni, Khordha Road.
In his homily, the archbishop said Mary’s exaltation and proclamation should inspire Christians to become aware of God’s unconditional love and care, blessings with different gifts and talents, providing necessary courage, strength and energy to face challenges and hard realities.
He hailed Sister Digal for joyfully serving the Lord with commitment and dedication for the past 50 years.
Sister Digal, in her response, said the communal violence of 2007-2008 brings tears in her eyes, “pain and agony in my heart, worries and anxieties in my mind, doubt and uncertainty in my thoughts.”
The violence that killed more than 100 people, mostly Christians, and rendered 56,000 homeless caused unforgettable horror and terror in life, she added.
She recalled experiencing peace, harmony, unity and fraternity among Kandhamal people irrespective of their caste, creed and color differences until the violence erupted. “The anti-Christian violence now prevents us to get back to the past peaceful and fearless existence,” she added.
Sister Digal was born October 16, 1947, as the youngest of four children of Nicolas and Basina Digal at Didrabadi, a remote substation of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Parish, Mondasoro under the archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar.
She passed her class 11 standard at Vijaya High School, Raikia in 1961, completed her teacher training in 1968 and taught in St. Catherine’s Girls’ High School, Raikia. She entered the congregation in 1970 and became its member two years later.
Sister Martha Pradhan, Digal’s current provincial, said Digal and two other jubilarians – Sister Michael Baxela from Jharkhand and Elizabeth Puthuvelil from Kerala served God and society in different capacities and responsibilities for the past 50 years.
“Sister Digal you celebrate the golden jubilee of God’s grace and fidelity. I consider it is a commitment of half century, a rare mile stone in the life of a person, I appreciate and acknowledge for your 50 years of dedicated and committed service towards people of God,” the provincial added.
Besides teaching, Sister Digal was engaged in caring the sick, the poor and the elderly, besides serving as a community animator.
At present Sister Digal is at St. Vincent’s House, Khordha Road, Jatni.
The congregation arrived in India in 1940 and now serves also in Assam, Haryana, Jharkhand, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.