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Religious Name : |
Sister Maria Nunciata of the Infant Jesus |
| Maiden Name : | Isbella Tauro | |
| Religious No : | 993 | |
| Native Place : | Khandar | |
| Parish : | Pompei Rosario Church, Kinnikumbla Gurpur | |
| Diocese : | Mangalore Diocese | |
| State : | Karnataka | |
| Date of Birth : | 22.12.1931 | |
| Date of First Profession : | 09.07.1956 | |
| Date of Perpetual Profession : | 22.05.1962 | |
| Date of Decease | 09-06-2021 | |
| Place of Burial : | Annunciation Convent Cemetery, Ladyhill, Mangalore |
Obituary
My beloved speaks and says to me, “Arise my love, My fair one and come away”. (Song of Songs. 2:10)
Jesus, the beloved called our dear Sr. Nunciata on June 9, 2021. She who was ever in a fit state readily answered His summons to dine at His table at the eternal banquet, with all the angels, saints, her dear ones and the entire A.C. band of sisters who have gone before her.
Sister Nunciata, nee Isabella Tauro was born on December 22, 1931 at Khandar, Gurpur to Late Mr. Francis Tauro and Mrs. Catherine Pinto, as the youngest of ten children. She was baptized on January 2, 1932 and confirmed on December 21, 1940 at Pompei Rosario Church, Gurpur. She was brought up in a loving and God fearing family. She lost her mother at a tender age, and then her father and the eldest sister looked after her and saw to all her needs and education. She completed her schooling at Saint Joseph’s High School, Bajpe and T.S.L.C. at St Ann’s Training School, Mangaluru.
She accepted life as the greatest gift from God and her whole passion was to live a glorious life for God and for others, radiating joy, creating laughter and bringing warmth to others and so decided to commit herself to follow the Religious life in the Apostolic Carmel.
She was accepted as a Postulant on January 17, 1954 at St.Anns, and as a Novice on July 8, 1954 at Presentation Convent, Maryhill, Mangaluru. She made her First Commitment on July 7, 1956 and Final Profession on May 22, 1962 at Maryhill.
Her first assignment was to Madonna Convent Kasaragod wherein she spent fourteen years as a teacher. Later, she rendered her services at St. Mary’s Convent, Margil, Seva Ashram, Pavoor, Shanthi Nilaya, Nanjangood, St. Cecily’s Convent, Udupi, St. Joseph’s Convent, Mysore, Carmel Convent, Ashaniketan, St. Agnes Convent, Mangaluru, Lourdes Convent, Kallianpur, Carmel Convent, Moodbidri and Modankap, Yesu Kripa, Shimoga, Maria Goretti Convent, Kemmanu, Mary Immaculate Convent, Bangalore. Her fourteen years at Madonna Convent, Kasarogod had many happy memories and mischievous stories of her students which she used to narrate them with much delight. In June 2011 she joined our community at Annunciation Convent, Ladyhill and became a very powerful ‘prayer force”.
Sr. Nunciata was a person of deep faith and prayer. She enjoyed communing with God sitting before the Blessed Sacrament. She was punctual for all the community prayers. She loved to sing the alto and enrich the liturgy by her active responses at Mass. She loved the company of Sisters and enlivened them with her youthful, exuberant spirit. She was much interested in everyone and in all activities of the community. Her sense of wit, hearty laugh, great zest, positive outlook made her a good and active community member. She made the community recreations lively by either singing a song or a hymn with full gusto.
Her special Charism was to train the students to perfection. This was vividly seen in the dramatization of skits, dramas and other cultural activities. She inculcated in them love for God and neighbor, taste for prayer and a sense of responsibility, with regard to their duties. Besides her teaching and her responsibility as Headmistress, she was mostly assigned the duties of bursar, sacristan, minister, borders mistress and mess in charge. She was one of the pioneers of Rotary English Medium School at Moodbidri and its first Headmistress. She served as H.M in Carmel School Nanjangud.
It is not the lessons imparted but the gentle touch that counts. The young students are in quest for such a touch. Sr. Nunciata had touched many a young heart, her family members, relatives and friends with her compassionate gesture. She maintained good relationships which kept her hale and hearty. She also had wide contacts with Priests, parents, students, well wishers and the Sisters of the Congregation through phone calls or messages. One such example of contact was shared by Fr. Alwyn Serrao, the principal, Padua P.U College Mangaluru, in his homily at the funeral mass. He was in tears as he recalled the sweet memories of her encouraging words, sisterly love and prayerful support to him in his ministry.
Though Sr. Nunciata had undergone a cataract surgery and had lost her sight completely she never gave up reading either books or news papers or WhatsApp messages with only one eye. She was indeed a very faithful and voracious “News paper reader”.
Our dear sister was blessed with unique qualities of heart and mind. Her sharp intellect is seen as is recorded in her personal record. She was assigned bursar’s duty in most of the communities and in spite of all the pains, aches, inability to walk because of Osteoporosis, with a walker, she would be there for common exercises before time. She had an innate quality of culinary art, and the sisters have been the beneficiaries of it, enjoying tasty dishes. “Cleanliness next to godliness” aptly summarizes her life. She was a perfectionist to the core. She was an excellent educationalist and a good, able leader. Her 65 years of selfless service as an Apostolic Carmelite is a great contribution to the congregation, to the church and to the society at large.
It is heart rending that our Eternal Master plucked away this most beautiful flower all too suddenly, early morning on 9, June. She left this earthly abode due to a massive heart attack. Our Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Stany Pereira anointed her with the last sacrament and Dr. Alfred Lobo from Father Muller’s hospital certified the death of our dear sister. At 4.30 p.m our Parish Priest Fr. Stany Pereira along with Fr Alywn Serrao, offered mass in our chapel for the repose of her soul. Our Provincial Superior Sr. Shamita and Sr. Maria Kripa, the Counselor, Sr. Nirmala Francis and Sr.Thejaswi were present for the funeral. Priests, Sisters from the neighboring Convents and parishioners, paid their last respects to the mortal remains.
Dear Sister Nunciata, we will certainly miss your loving and prayerful presence in our community. Thank you for leading an exemplary and dedicated life and drawing many blessings on us. May our Heavenly Father, accept you with His open arms and grant you the crown of glory. Intercede for all the Apostolic Carmelites, and pray for many more vocations for our Province and Congregation.
Adieu dear Sr. Nunciata! Adieu! Till we meet you on the heavenly shore!
A tribute of love from the Sisters of Annunciation Convent, Ladyhill, Mangaluru.
