[Felix Anthony]
AIZAWL, 4 Mar: At a time when thousands of Indians are scrambling to return home from war-torn Ukraine, two Missionaries of Charity (MC) nuns from Mizoram have decided to remain in the country to serve the suffering people.
Sister Rosela Nuthangi and sister Ann Frida are the two nuns who have refused to leave the country.
Mother general of the MC, sister Prema established contact with the two nuns on 2 March and advised them to move to a safer place. But they have preferred to stay back to help the people in whatever way possible.
Sister Nuthangi hails from Sihphir village. She is the second MC sister in the Mizo community. She made her first religious profession in 1984 and was sent to the then USSR as a missionary.
She worked in Moscow’s St Petersburg for 10 years. Having mastered Russian language, she also worked in Latvia and Astonovia. In 2017, she moved to Ukraine, and is still serving there.
Sister Frida is from Mizoram’s capital city Aizawl. She made her first religious profession in 1998. After working in India for a few years, she was sent to Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine, and is serving there for the last 10 years.
Commending the sisters for their courage, archbishop John Moolachira, the president of the North East Regional Bishops’ Council, said, “I am not surprised that two religious women sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, who are working in the war-ravaged Ukraine are not leaving the country in spite of the great danger to their lives and the interest of the government of India to evacuate all its citizens. I am proud of them.”
Adding that “what the two nuns have done is a small example of what the Church really stands for,” Moolachira said, “Every consecrated person cares more for the lives and comfort of their fellow men and women than that of their own. They would consider it cowardice and unbecoming of their noble call to flee when the people under their care need their help, prayers and support the most.”
Father Robert Faustin, a Salesian priest from Mizoram, said that the anxious relatives of these two Mizo nuns are in constant touch with them for the past few days.
“We hope for the safety of these two heroic nuns and let us also pray that peace and normalcy return to Ukraine, Russia and rest of the world,” father Faustin said.
