Rome: Sr Mariette BS Defends Her Doctoral Thesis
Report and pics from Fr Elias Frank, Rome
Rome, May 31: Sr Mariette BS, in the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, on May 30, 2007 made the Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany - popularly known as Bethany Sisters - proud.
The Bethany congregation founded in Mangalore in 1921 by Msg. Raymond Francis Camillus Mascarenhas (1875-1960), a priest of Mangalore diocese, to educate the poor, especially the rural girls has grown in numbers and their mission has spread to all corners of India and into Europe and Africa.
Sr. Mariette BS has made an explorative study on the charism of the Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany; their origin, development, challenges and future prospects. The importance of the work must be seen from Sr Mariette’s own words, ‘In the 86 years of Bethany’s history, it is the first time that a systematic study on the charism of Msgr Raymond and Bethany is undertaken.’
It was not an easy task for Sr Mariette as Msgr Raymond did not leave any written legacy behind, but she gathered her information directly from those who knew him personally; a whole lot of 150 persons - Bethany nuns, priests of Mangalore diocese and lay persons of Bendur parish where Msgr Raymond was parish priest - were her sources.
The professor who guided her during the research work and the assessors who questioned her during the defence of the thesis were full of praise for her work. The moderator, Prof Anton Witwer SJ, said, in appreciation of her work, ‘In one word, it is an excellent work.’
Sr Mariette is the daughter - fourth of the seven children - of Christine and Lucas Crasta of Christ the King parish, Venur; known by her baptismal name Maria Gretta before she took up the religious profession. Before coming to Rome she had completed her B Sc from St Agnes College in Mangalore and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from Vidya Jyoti in Delhi.
In Rome, after completing Master’s degree in Theology, on May 30 May, she was awarded doctorate in the Institute of Spirituality for her work titled ‘Charism and Commitment’.
On this great day in Sr. Mariette’s life, her Bethany ‘family’ from other parts of Italy and as well as Germany was present. Sr Irene BS, the Provincial Delegate for Europe together with Sr Fabiola BS, the Procurator felicitated Sr Mariette in the name of her whole Bethany family.
Nancy Pinto, ‘gurkarn’ felicitated Sr Mariette on behalf of the ‘Manglur Kutam’ in Rome.
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