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Sister from India discerns religious life with FSPA

Sister Nirmala Dias

Eating a full evening meal at 2 or 3 o'clock in the afternoon would seem odd to most people in the United States. Sister Nirmala Dias is faced with a similar experience every day because she has traveled far from her home, in Mumbai (Bombay), India, to explore religious life with the FSPA. In the convent where she previously lived, Sister Nirmala would have tea around 5:00 p.m., not supper. Her supper hour would be around 7:30 p.m. That means her internal clock isn't prompting her appetite when supper is served. This is just one of the oddities that Sister Nirmala is adjusting to each day.

The disruption of everything familiar in her life doesn't appear to be shaking Sister Nirmala's self-confidence though. She is moving forward, listening to members, observing ministries and
absorbing the FSPA life.

Sister Nirmala's presence in La Crosse can be attributed to her relationship with Sister Corrina Thomas. In 1981 they took first vows as co-novices, with the Daughters of St. Paul in Mumbai. Sister Corrina was warmly received by Sister Nirmala and other classmates when she visited Mumbai during her incorporation process with the FSPA.

The two have used e-mail and telephone to stay in touch since that visit. Sister Nirmala recalls that she was struck by the way Sister Corrina spoke about religious life with the FSPA, that a member's ministry was determined by what "she would enjoy doing." Sister Nirmala contrasts this with her experience in the Daughters of St. Paul where ministry in publishing predominated, and members "did not have a wide choice."

In her 25 years as a religious woman Sister Nirmala has primarily worked with shipping and distribution of publications. While ministering in India she was responsible for shipping books to other countries. For a few years in the early 1990s she lived in Hong Kong. She ministered by going to schools, parishes or seminars to display and sell publications. During that period Sister Nirmala also had the opportunity to visit other communities in Taiwan, Macau, Singapore and the Philippines.

For the past two years Sister Nirmala cared for her aging mother. After her mother's death in May 2006 she began making plans to visit the United States. She is the fourth of nine children (six sisters and one brother, with one brother deceased) and was raised in Mumbai. As far back as she can remember her family has always been Catholic. Many westerners are not aware that St. Thomas, disciple to Jesus, traveled to India and converted many to Christianity. This suggests that Christianity existed in India long before it reached European countries.

Sister Nirmala says she did not know what to expect when she arrived in Chicago on Dec. 22, but notes life here is totally different than in Mumbai. Besides the snowy weather, she observes that you see very few people around, and few people walking. This contrasts with Mumbai which Sister Nirmala describes as "crowded." Mumbai has an estimated 13 million people.

As she acclimates to La Crosse, Sister Nirmala is living at Chiara and doing part-time work in the development office. She enjoys reading and listening to music. Among her favorite types of music are cultural songs in her native tongue, Kokanni. She and her siblings always spoke to their parents in Kokanni. However, since her nieces and nephews know very little of this language the use of her mother tongue is dwindling.

Saying she has come with an open mind, Sister Nirmala is most interested to know the various ministries of the FSPA. She indicates that she has not identified any specific ministry of interest yet.

Not everything is different in Sister Nirmala's new world. FSPA devotion to Eucharist and adoration create a common ground for her. As a Daughter of St. Paul she prayed daily before the Blessed Sacrament.

Speaking about her native land Sister Nirmala describes the Indian people as "loving, friendly, helpful, tolerant, and hardworking." Interestingly, Sister Corrina used some of these exact words when asked to describe Sister Nirmala.

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