 |
Sister Sabitha Kochuthazhath Sister Sabitha is one of 650 Medical Mission Sisters in 19 nations trying to be present to others in the spirit of Jesus the Healer. Born and raised in Kerala, India, Sister Sabitha was trained as a social worker. She made her First Vows in 1986. “Mission for me means following Christ radically through participating in His mission,” she shared at that time. “It means radiating Christ-values among the ordinary people, Christian or non-Christian, without any discrimination.” After beginning her ministry in Kerala, she worked among Hindus in Selud, Madhya Pradesh. Sister Sabitha went on to spend 17 years in mission in North India. “I have experienced how each state has its own language and practices; in addition, each tribe has its own dialect. There are more than 3,000 languages and dialects,” she explains. “For me as a social worker, the greatest need experienced in another culture is to know the language of the people,” she adds. “When I began my life in North India, I was a stranger and a foreigner to the people. As years passed, I became a close friend to many …I learned from my experience that if I can speak the language of the people, it shows that I am interested in them, respect them, and am ready to work with them.” Sister Sabitha is currently in mission with Medical Mission Sisters’ candidates in Selud, India. “In our communities, especially formation communities, we encourage everybody to celebrate their important feasts, preparing food according to their customs, and explaining legends and myths regarding each celebration,” she says. “This practice has helped me to deepen my knowledge and also to develop my creative interest in getting to know others in a better way.” “Dialogue and communication in multicultural realities and intercultural living are essential to developing respect and appreciation for one’s own culture as well as others,” she shares. “Now candidates are coming from many different cultural backgrounds, therefore, having a better understanding of other cultures is very essential.”
home
|
|
|
||||||||
