Sr.Shalini Salve RSCJ

28. April, 2015VocationsNo comments

I am from Ahmed Nagar district, Kendal its first mission station. My grandfather from Rahuri, had been a clerk in the Court, but died young. My grandmother expecting her second child, moved back to Kendal to her father’s home where my father was born. He married and had five children. I am third in the family. Two boys before me, a sister and a brother after. I was a tomboy, not working at home. My mother scolded me a lot! I was surprised that my grandmother could read and write Marathi, and was a catechist in Kendal. My father was a primary school teacher and taught catechism in the evenings to the village families.

My family was very religious. We went to Mass in the parish church and at home had evening, prayers and Bible reading. During Lent we went to the Stations of the Cross in the church. I was listening to each station carefully, I realized that the Lord suffered for all human beings. I asked myself, What can I do for the Lord? I read Bible. That put it in my mind that I should become a nun. I read the small life of St. Theresa of Child Jesus which gave me more inspiration to serve the Lord. But there were only the Jesus and Mary Sisters in Sangamner.

Four of our parish had vocations. We told our parish priest, Fr. Sotroom, (German priests served Ahmednagar) that we would like to join convent. He was happy but said,”You are too young. But still I will write a letter to superior at Sungumner convent of Jesus and Mary”. He wrote and she said, “yes”. So three of us went to Sangamner in June. I was a second Std.teacher. We stayed for six months. There we learnt English prayers, reading etc. When we were ready to go to the novitiate at Boat Club Road, the novitiate was full. Provincial Mother told us that we would have to wait for six months more in Pune convent. The second option was, she said, join another convent of the Sophia Nuns, “They will be happy to receive you. Because Rev. Mother Ward had written asking if we have some young girls who wanted to join the convent.” So not to wait six months, I said I would go.And others followed. I suppose she told Mother Ward that there were four girls, and they would like to come to you. So she told us that Bombay Sisters would come, to be ready for them. When Rev. Mother Ward and Mother Pippet came we went to the parlour.

But when we met them they both of them were English so there was different English accent from Jesus and Mary sisters. When they spoke with us they spoke very kindly and firmly too. Rev. Mother Ward asked,”Do do you really want to become nuns and why? We said,” Yes”. “Why” she said. We said, “We want to serve Him”. “Are you happy to join with us or prefer the J.M.?” We said,”we want to come to you, we don’t want to wait longer here”. She asked us the name and address of the parish priest, our age, education and family. This visit was at the end of November. They told us to go home for a month. “Before Christmas you will receive a letter from us calling you for the first week of January”. We spent Christmas very happily.Our parish priest, a German, knew the Rscj’s in Germany. So we told him Sophia sisters came to see us and we were going to join them. He said “No, they are international order, and they are very highly educated women, they are famous and high caliber of women”. So we told him that they said we will be sisters working in the house-

Still he did not believe. Then just before Christmas the letter came to him from Mother Ward. He called us and said sorry for not believing! “By 5 January you have to leave for Bangalore”. There was one girl, Mary Fernandes from Bombay and she will show us the red flag at the Pune station. We met her at Pune and she went with us. The reservations,etc. were done for us by our parish priest.

Sr. Cecilia Adhav’s father, an ex-military man, came with us from Kendal to Bangalore. It was our first long train journey. At Bangalore station was a driver and one Rscj waiting for us with a car to go to Sophia High School. There the whole community was waiting. They were very happy to welcome us. Rev.Mother Andersson, Sr.Britt-Compton, Bertha Wilcox and the novices welcomed us. Sister Gerty was good angel because she knew Marathi. Sr. Brittcompton our in-charge. So there also we had prayers and meditation, singing, stitching, Bible classes, house work. Our school, school children, and sisters everything was very beautiful. We also had throwball in the evening. So our day was full. So during our novitiate I had three novice mistresses. Sr. Brittcompton, Napier, Ormesher, all of them very strict and very kind. I was very happy during my novitiate. August 1961 Rev. Mother Anersson died. So Rev. Mother Napier came from Rome as superior. But she had to look after us also till we got the novice mistress from Austrelia.

Father was very sad and quietly weeping a lot. I kept that in mind. I came to know one month ahead that we are making first vows on 21st of June 1962. So I wrote to my father I am making my vows on 21st you were very sad and weeping when I left home. Now I am asking you shall I make my 1st vows or not. He replied I am very happy, make your vows and don’t come back. Keep the rules and regulations of the society.More important don’t miss prayer any time. Then I was very happy and very excited to make my vows.

I completed my golden jubilee in the society. And I am very faithful and happy in my life. Amen. Sr. Shalini Salve (Anna).

Back to Homepage

We are a small, diverse and inclusive group, welcoming in our midst a variety of socio-cultural backgrounds, ages and temperaments. Primarily an educational congregation, our earliest ventures were in the field of education

Sophia College for Women in Mumbai was our first foundation in 1941, and remains the institution with which we are most often associated. The College has continued to grow in the years since then, and while some sisters continue to work there, a number have moved on into other areas of service. Today, the range includes Schools, Colleges& Nursery Schools.

Vocation Promotion Programmes

Sr. Shalini Salve RSCJ

Sr. Phila Gomes RSCJ

Sr. Terezita RSCJ

Sr. Rosa Makil RSCJ

April 2015

April 2013

March 2013