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Hyderabad (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Church in Pakistan welcomed the first nun of the Kacchi Kohli tribe, after 70 years of mission among those tribal peoples in Sindh. Here the Dutch Franciscan friars begin their ministry of apostolate among the tribal groups in 1940, under the guidance of Fr. Farman OFM and with the support of two catechists.
Sister Anita Maryam Mansingh, of the Congregation of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (PBVM), took her perpetual vows together with another nun in a celebration held in recent days at the Joti Cultural and Educational Center of the Catholic Diocese of Hyderabad. Her uncle, Fr. Mohan Victor OFM, was the first Catholic priest and Franciscan friar from the same tribal group of Kacchi Kohli.
Sr. Anita was born on 8 September 1989 in Tando Allahyar, a small town near Mirpur Khas, and joined the religious community of the nuns of the Presentation in September 2008 after completing her university studies in educational sciences. She made her temporary profession on September 14, 2011. During the period of her formation she worked in several communities in Rawalpindi and Hyderabad.
Speaking to Fides, Sister Anita said: "My uncle Fr. Mohan Victor inspired me to choose religious life and helped me to discern my vocation. I am grateful to my parents and brothers for always supporting me in this choice".
The Sisters of the Presentation began their apostolate in Rawalpindi in 1895. A group of nuns came from Chennai (today India) and opened schools to serve the children of British and Irish soldiers. Today there are 60 nuns of the congregation engaged in Pakistan in the fields of education, health care and pastoral work.
Bishop Samson Shukardin, at the head of the Catholic diocese of Hyderabad, told Fides: "It is a joyful moment to see a Catholic nun from the Kacchi Kohli tribe. The tribal people express the beauty of our Church in Sindh. I encourage the nuns to be a hope for the abandoned and the most vulnerable people. I thank them especially for the service they offer, providing quality education to the people of Pakistan in the provinces of Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to students of every culture, religion and ethnicity". (AG) (Agenzia Fides, 8/5/2018)
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