Centurion Sr Crescentia Inspiration for Zestful Life
News & Pics: Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network- Bantwal (SB)  

Bantwal, Feb 27: Deriving satisfaction in life through service, 100-year-young Sr Crescentia still retains her uncanny good humoured talk and is a role model to youth.  

A resident of Holy Family Convent, Nirkana, Vagga here since 1978, she turned 100 on Thursday February 25. Sr Crescentia, who basically hails from Aldona in Goa, was born on February 25, 1910 as the fourth child to Francis and Carlota. 

Inspired by Bethany Sisters founder Raymond Mascarenhas, she joined the profession at Bethany Convent in Mangalore at the age of ten. Known by the names Maria, Angelica and Camelina she came to be known as Sr Crescentia after embracing nunhood. Sr Crescentia who can converse fluently in English and Konkani understands Kannada though is not able to strike a conversation in the language. 

Speaking to Daijiworld about her earlier days as a nun, she said that nuns had to undergo lot of sufferings then for they had no support of the community which is so apparent these days. She has served at Gurupur, Puttur, Siddakatte, Kanajar, Dharwad and Kinnigoli convents in the state apart from neighboring state Kerala. Though after her retirement she is spending her time mostly in prayers, Sr Crescentia is still active doing her own work and enjoys occasional walks. 

Sr Lizzy says Sr Crescentia is a great model for nuns like her. Her joyful spirit is like blessings to us. A great human being she also immensely loves nature, especially plants, she added.