globalsistersreport.org
Indian congregation attracts vocations among Indigenous communities
In the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, Sr. Rose Kongari says that her religious vocation and tribal identity are two sides of the same coin. "I never wanted to become a nun lest I lose my tribal identity in the convent," said the member of the Congregation of the Daughters of St. Anne, Ranchi. "However, when I studied at St. Anne's High School in Ranchi, I realized it was the only congregation [that] helped young girls like me balance our tribal identity and religious life," said Kongari, who is in her late 20s. Kongari, who was given permission by her superiors to speak with Global Sisters Report in April, is among the congregation's 1,075 professed nuns who are tribal members. She said her congregation was founded in Ranchi, capital of Jharkhand state, in 1897 by Mother Mary Bernadette Prasad Kispotta and three other tribal women "to educate, empower and evangelize local people without diluting their tribal identity." According to the latest census conducted in 2011, Jharkhand had 1,418,608 Christians, with a majority belonging to Munda, Oraon, Kharia, Santal, Mal Paharia, Sauria Paharia and Ho tribes. These tribes are also referred to as Adivasis (original inhabitants) to distinguish them from other...
