Mechernich/Austin – Originally from India, Sister Anit (71) from Temple near Austin/Texas has now celebrated her golden profession at the Communio in Christo in Mechernich. Annakutty Paily Pottakkal, as she was known by her maiden name, took her perpetual vows with the Indian Carmelite nuns in 1974, which she now renewed in Mechernich before Bishop Prof. Dr Philippos Mar Stephanos, the head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in the USA and Canada, and the Mechernich community of the Ordo Communionis in Christo.

Sister Anit has been a member of the community for several years. In addition to the Evangelical Councils, she had taken the additional vow of unconditional charity before the first Superior General Karl-Heinz Haus. The sister, who works as a nurse and community assistant in Austin, had travelled to the Eifel from the USA especially for the gold profession retreat and the celebration.

In addition to the bishop, her celebration service was organised by the Jünkerath Salesian Padre Walter Körbes SDB, the priests Patrick Mwanguhya and Jaimson Mathew, who work at the Communio in Mechernich, as well as Deacon Manfred Lang and diaconal candidate Tilj Puthenveettil.

“Theologian and farmer”

In his introduction, Lang, who is also the deputy of the Communio General Superior Jaison Thazhathil, welcomed Sister Anit and Bishop Mar Stephanos as guests of honour of the community in the Communio mother house in Mechernich. He recalled the many visits that Mar Stephanos had made to Mechernich at the time when he was still auxiliary bishop of the Idukki region in Kerala/India.

At the time, he described himself as a "bishop, theologian and farmer". In Idukki, 90 percent of the people live from agriculture. Many of them were and are desperately poor, which is why Mar Stephanos made it his mission to support them in the spirit of "helping people to help themselves". At the time, the Communio organized bean seeds for India at the "Buir-Bliesheimer" producer cooperative. Mar Stephanos also contacted Bundestag member Detlef Seif to help with a model farm in Idukki.

Deacon Lang said at the beginning of the service: "Today we are celebrating a festival of joy over our connection with Christ. 50 years ago, Sister Anit made her perpetual vows with the Indian Carmelites, which she is renewing today before God and this congregation and Bishop Mar Stephanos. We are happy with you from the bottom of our hearts, dear Sister Anit, that your life for and with God has turned out so well!” This can only be achieved through love for and from God and love for our neighbour: “May this love take hold of us all and inspire our whole life…”

Nurse and Nun

In his sermon, Prof. Dr. Philippos Mar Stephanos remembered Annakutty Paily Pottakkal's parents, "who gave birth to her and raised her in the Catholic faith and morals." God showed Sister Anit her calling to become a nun and thus enabled her to train as a nurse. As such, Sr. Anit "served humanity in the name of God in various parts of the world."

"Through the providence and grace of God, you are now a member of the Communio in Christo, and today you renew your profession, a turning point of growth, a milestone and completion of religious life," the bishop continued. The Communio founder, Mother Marie Therese, named the following of Christ as the highest rule of the order. Her motto was: "Love of neighbour is life in God".

After the church service, there was a secular celebration in the Communio refectory, during which the Indian Samaritan sisters Little Flower, Rose, Nimisha, Liya Tom and Tessina, who live and work at the Communio in Mechernich, sang songs in Malayalam, the language of the Thomas Christians in Kerala.

pp/Agentur ProfiPress