Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Dec 30: Sr Mary John (nee Stella Monteiro) marked the golden jubilee of her religious profession in the Order of the Sisters of the Holy Cross with a two-day celebration on December 28 and 29.

Daughter of Hilary and Carmen Monteiro, then of Modankap (Bantwal) parish, she joined the convent in 1958, making her final profession in 1961 at Hazaribagh, Bihar, headquarters of the Order.

Since then, Sr Mary John has been working in many convents of the Order, including Neermarga and Trasi in Tulunadu. She was a pioneer co-founder of Neermarga (Merlapadau) convent in 1971 with a token poultry farm which has since developed into an educational hub of the area with Kannada and English medium high schools.
 
The golden jubilee celebrations started off with a Thanksgiving Mass at Merlapadau Church on December 28, with Bishop aloysius Paul D’Souza leading a concelebrated Mass with several priests, including the parish priest, Fr Godfrey Saldanha. The Provincial of the Order in Karnataka, Mother Lincy Cherian, and Superior of the Neermarga Convent, Sr Cynthia, with a large number of nuns of the congregation, attended the festive Thanksgiving Mass and reception, where the representatives of the parish also felicitated Sr Mary John.
 
The family of Sr Mary John organised a Thanksgiving Mass at St Lawrence Church, Bondel, on December 29. Fr Cornelius Monteiro, a cousin of Sr Mary John, led the concelebrated Mass, with Fr Valerian D’Souza and Fr Denis D’Souza, close relatives of the jubilarian, concelebrating along with the parish priest, Fr Andrew S’Souza.

The Mass was followed by a reception at Johnlyn Cottage, the residence of John B Monteiro, eldest brother of the jubilarian. Flanked by her eldest sister, Sr Hilaria from the Sisters of Charity, and Sr Mary James, her youngest sister, from the same Order, Sr Mary John cut the celebratory cake. Mohan Monteiro, nephew of the celebrant, raised the toast to the jubilarian. Her niece, Primrose Monteiro-D’Souza, led the choir in the church, and acted as mistress of ceremonies at the reception.
 
Sr Mary John, who pioneered the convent at Neermarga, is now associated with the English medium school there.