Sister Catherine SKD is a young woman who entered the conventual life after graduating with an engineering degree in Electronics and Communication. She belongs to the community of the Society of Kristhu Dasis, a religious congregation rooted in Kerala. The ‘Catholicnews.in makes a journey through the life of sister Catherine, currently an Assistant Professor at Jyothi Engineering College, Cheruthuruthy, Thrissur.
It was while studying at the Malabar Engineering College in Thrissur that a girl named Catherine realized that her calling was a life of devotion. Being the only daughter of parents who were told to go to the monastery, there were no problems at home as expected. From an early age, sister Catherine was seeing the parents who were completely dedicated to God Himself for everything. So all they had to say was, “Pray well, and the Lord will allow it if it is His will.” That’s how Catherine, an engineering graduate, enters a consecrated life of a nun. The sister wondered who would take care of her parents if she went to a religious life. The answer to her prayer was, “God will take care of father and mother.”
Sister Catherine also had a brother. He had been suffering from cancer whose name is Handsel. The brother was five years older than her. He died while she was studying in the first standard. Brother was more mature than that ten-year-old kid. On his deathbed, he asked for the Last Sacrament. As it is an unbearable moment for every mother, her mother also wept in front of her brother. Seeing this, the elder brother comforted the mother by saying: ‘Amn’t I the son of Jesus? Jesus just handed you both over just to take care of me. So it is your duty to give me back whenever He asks.’ These words were very thought-provoking to Sister Catherine in later life. Probably, this is one of many factors that the parents did not say any objections to her wish.
She studied Engineering. That too in Electronics and Communication. We may have a question in our minds as to how a person who is accustomed to using a computer and a mobile phone could obey the rules of convent abandoned these gadgets? But that was not a problem for Sister Catherine. That is so for those who are called by God – all obstacles will become a means before them.
Sister Catherine pursued MTech. when she was in her final years of study at the convent. She completed her studies at Vimal Jyothi College of Engineering, Chambery in Kannur. The sister says that during that time her congregation was very encouraging and supportive. The two important studies were carried out at the same time because of the blessings of God and the great cooperation of the religious community to which she belongs to. According to the sister, those who speak that religious life is a prison, they do not understand the exact meaning of religious life.
Sister Catherine is the representative of all those who dedicate themselves to God and loves Him. Such calls of God are the best answers to those who despise holy lives. May there be many more vocations in the Church by the thousands of living martyrs.
Sunisha V.F.