SISTER MARY AVITA OF THE HOLY CROSS
Institute Number: 1233
“Those who love me… I will satisfy them
And show them my salvation” (Ps 91:14,16)
Bravely she held on to a life of many fruitful years
This shall be her joy and crown without fears
As St Paul says: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7), so our dear Sister Avita accomplished the mission the Lord entrusted to her, participated in the pain and agony of the Lord and when the Lord beckoned her to Himself to receive the crown of glory, she peacefully winged her flight to the heavenly Jerusalem in the Holy week to partake in the resurrection of Jesus for all eternity.
Sister Mary Avita of the Holy Cross née Philomena Anna Mendonca was born on 17 March 1936 at Kalbadevi, Mumbai. She was the eldest among the eight children born to Salvadore Mendonca and Lucy D’Cruz who were devout and caring parents. She was baptized on 29 March 1936 at the Church of Our Lady of Hope Bhuleswar, Mumbai and received the Sacrament of Confirmation on 22 August 1950 at Holy Cross Church, Kulshekar, Mangalore. Her parents and five siblings have already gone home to God for their eternal reward. Among the survivors, Fr Walter Mendonca SVD, her priest brother and her youngest sister, Mrs Leena Pinto were present with us for the funeral Mass. Being the eldest in the family Sr Avita had the responsibility to help her mother in the household chores and also take care of her younger siblings. However, her mother would send her for daily Mass along with her siblings. Philomena had a great desire to become a religious who was inspired by her cousin Sr. Amelle A.C. to join the Apostolic Carmel. Since her help was needed at home in taking care of the siblings, she delayed her decision in joining the convent but she inspired her young brother Walter to become a priest who joined the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) just three years after her joining the convent. At present Fr Walter Mendonca is serving in the SVD Minor Seminary in Kirem. Meanwhile, she attended a course in Needle work and Dress making, Embroidery Higher Grade at St. Agnes Needle Work Centre. At the age of 22 she expressed her desire to her mother to join the Apostolic Carmel Congregation who happily consented.
She was received as a postulant in June 1959 at St. Ann’s Convent, Mangalore and thereafter entered the Novitiate at Presentation Convent Maryhill, Mangalore in January 1960 and was given the religious name Sister Mary Avita of the Holy Cross. She made her first Profession on 5 January 1962 and final Profession on 21 May 1967.
Sister Avita was a gentle, kind, soft spoken, polite and she greeted everyone with a sweet smile and a cheerful countenance. She was an efficient craft teacher, loving and caring to her students. All through the sixty years of her religious life she has worked hard with great zeal in the thirteen convents of Karnataka Province: St Cecily’s Udupi, Presentation Convent and Vijaymari, Maryhill; Carmel Convent, Modankap, Alnavar, Ganguli and Ashaniketan; Seva Ashram, Pavur; Carmel Nivas, Bellary; Lourdes Convent, Kalianpur; Yesu Kripa, Shimoga and St Maria Goretti, Kemmannu. She rendered her generous and loving service in various capacities as Superior, Minister, Sacristan, Cook, Refectorian, Community and Society Bursar wherever she was posted. She was the Superior of the mission station, Seva Ashram Pavur for 13 years on 3 different terms where she worked zealously among the Tulu Christians. As a Superior of Carmel Convent, Ganguli, Yesu Kripa Shimoga and Lourdes Community Kallianpur, she involved herself actively in parish apostolate, visiting houses and spreading the Good News besides animating the sisters of the community. Sr Avita was indeed a great missionary and an eager pioneer in some of these convents where she worked for the Lord and his people with great love, commitment and enthusiasm.
Sr Avita enjoyed good health for nearly sixty years except for some minor ailments. It was in the year 1997 while she was serving as animator of the Community at Yesu Kripa Shimoga, she was diagnosed for breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy. The treatment was successful and she recovered completely and lived for 25 post operative years. It was in 2013 she had a fall in Seva Ashram Pavur and fractured her hip and was operated for the same. For better facilities she was transferred to St Mary’s Convent, Marjil in 2015. For the last 3 years her movements became difficult due to the operated hip but she managed to go about using the walker. She joined the aged and infirm sisters in praying extra rosaries, scripture reading and other prayers for various intentions daily.
We thank God for the steadfast love of God, Sr Avita experienced for the past 60 years of her religious life. She glorified God through her life of love and service in the Congregation and the Church. Her life of prayer, endurance in suffering, spirit of sacrifice, hard work, simplicity, humility, love for the poor, kind and gentle ways have been an inspiration for all of us. Her total surrender to God’s will and plan was revealed on her serene and cheerful countenance which was an expression of ‘God’s all sufficing love’ for her.
Sister Avita dearly loved her family members and took keen interest in their wellbeing. The regular visits of her family members, Mrs. Leena her sister, the nephews and nieces and in particular her priest brother Fr Walter Mendonca gave her immense joy and comfort.
During the last couple of years, Sr Avita suffered with the diseases of parkinsonism, hypertension and diabetic mellitus. She was under treatment and was admitted in the hospital whenever medical care was required. It was in the month of August 2021 she stopped using even the walker and was confined to her bed. Though the intake of food, speech, memory was normal, her muscles were deteriorating slowly making movements painful and impossible. Dr Roshan who was treating her used to visit her in the convent as and when needed. There were a few summon from above alerting us that her time to go to God was nearing. On 3 December 2021, she was seriously ill. Our parish priest Fr. Bonaventure was called to anoint her after which she was shifted to Fr Muller Hospital. She recovered steadily with the medication and was discharged after seven days. Thereafter she was confined to her bed and given palliative care. Since the speaker was connected from the chapel to her room, she was able to follow the Mass, Liturgy of the hours and the Rosary lying on her bed. She prepared herself well to go home to God from the time she was incapacitated.
On 3 April 2022, Dr Roshan was called on a regular basis to check her health and told the superior to continue with the same medication. On 11 April she requested Sr Renjini Jospeh to take her to the chapel for Mass while she was attending to her needs early morning. For three days from 11 to 13 April she was wheeled to the chapel for Mass and on the 12 April at 10 am once again she was wheeled to be with the senior sisters who pray the Rosary daily from 10 to 12 noon. On Wednesday, 13 April after Mass, she was given breakfast and thereafter taken to her room for rest. At 8.50 am she was found to be uneasy and struggling for breath and at 9 am she got a cardiac arrest and quietly she surrendered her life to her beloved God whom she dearly loved.
The Mortal remains of our dear Sister Avita were laid in the convent chapel at 11 am. Her family members and relatives, the reverend fathers, AC sisters from local convents, AC Associates, and a number of people came to pay their last respects to Sr Avita. At 3.45 pm, Fr Walter Mendonca SVD, Sr Avita’s brother blessed the mortal remains and the funeral cortege wended its way to Our Lady of Miracles Church, Milagres, Mangalore. The Requiem Mass was offered at 4.30 pm by Fr. Walter Mendonca as the main celebrant along with eight other priests. Fr. Melvin Pinto SJ, the Rector of St Aloysius College preached a meaningful homily. The church was packed to capacity with our AC sisters from different communities, sisters of other congregation, Novices, Tertians, ACAs, the family members and relatives of Sr Avita and the parishioners of Milagres, Kulshekar and Pavur. After the final blessings Sr Avita was laid to rest in Our Lady of Miracles Church Cemetery.
We express our gratitude to Rev. Fr. Bonaventure, our parish priest who came immediately and prayed over the mortal remains when she passed away; our Bishop, Most Rev. Peter Paul Saldanha for visiting and blessing her mortal remains. We remember with gratitude Sr Maria Nirmalini, our Superior General who visited Sr Avita in the month of December and for her condolence. We also thank Sr Maria Shamita, our provincial superior and her team who visited her during her illness and attended the funeral Mass.
We pray for God’s blessings on Sr. Gloria, our Superior who was by her side every time she needed help and care. We are grateful to our Sisters Ellen Marie, Renjini Joseph, Vinitha D’Souza and Calista, our maid who helped her in her needs and rendered special assistance to our sister in her bed of pain. We thank all the Rev. Fathers, Rev. Sisters, ACAs, Sr Avita’s family members, relatives and the parishioners for paying their last respects to the mortal remains of our dear sister Avita and praying for her during the funeral Mass.
We bid a loving adieu, dear Sister Avita, on behalf of all the Sisters of the AC family, especially Sr Gloria, our superior and the sisters of your community at St Mary’s, Marjil. We shall all meet again in our heavenly abode. May God grant you eternal bliss.
A tribute of love and fond remembrance from your loving sisters, St Mary’s Convent, Marjil, Mangalore, Karnataka Province.
BIO DATA
Name in Religion : Sister Mary Avita of the Holy Cross
Maiden name : Philomena Anna Mendonca
Institute Number : 1233
Date of Birth : 17 March 1936
Date of Entrance to Postulancy : 15 June 1959
Date of First Profession : 5 January 1962
Date of Final Profession : 21 May 1967
Date of Decease : 13 April 2022
Date of Burial : 13 April 2022
Place of Burial : Our Lady of Miracles Church Cemetery, Milagres, Mangalore
