Deceased Sisters

	Religious Name :	Sister Mary Cherubina of the Infant Jesus
	Maiden Name :	Cherobine DSouza
	Religious No :	1179
	Native Place :	Urwa
	Parish :	Immaculate Conception of the Bl. Virgin Mary, Urwa
	Diocese :	Mangalore Diocese
	State :	Karnataka
	Date of Birth :	04.05.1935
	Date of First Profession :	22.08.1959
	Date of Perpetual Profession :	20.05.1965
	RIP:	27-11-2023

OBITUARY

SISTER MARY CHERUBINA OF THE INFANT JESUS

Institute No. 1179

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day” (II Timothy 4:7-8).

True to these words of the Scripture, our dear Sister Mary Cherubina fought the good fight with tremendous faith in the Lord and completed her race through pain and suffering for the past 12 years and went home to God to receive her eternal reward at 6.30 a.m. on 27 November 2023 while the community sisters were singing the hymn ‘Flower of Carmel’ at the end of the morning prayer.  A long life of love, prayer and sacrifice lived for the Lord and generous service for humanity was blessed and rewarded by the Lord as she winged her flight to heaven to meet her beloved Lord face to face.

Sister Cherubina was born on 4 May 1935 to Mr Gregory Dsouza and Mrs Miliana Dsouza as the eldest among the nine children at Ullal, Karnataka State. She was baptized on 15 May 1935 at St Sebastian’s Church, Permanur and was christened ‘Cherobine’ but fondly called ‘Baby’ at home. She received her confirmation on 26 August 1946 at St Rita’s Church, Cascia, Mangalore. She lost her mother in her early childhood but her father and step mother brought her up with great love. Being the eldest child, she shouldered the responsibility of looking after her younger siblings. Regular family prayers, Mass and Catechism, nourished her faith and sowed the seed of religious vocation in her heart. She cherished the desire of becoming a religious and dedicate her life to Jesus. After completing VIII standard at Stella Maris Convent School at Kotekar in 1950, she planned to join the Ursuline Franciscan Sisters along with her cousin, but her father refused her joining the Ursuline sisters. The young Cherubine who set her heart on the Lord, did not lose hope and waited for six more years. Once again, she expressed her desire and this time to be a sister of the Apostolic Carmel Congregation and her father readily consented. She entered the postulancy in the year 1957 at Presentation Convent, Maryhill, Mangalore and made her first profession on 22 August 1959 as a sister of the Apostolic Carmel Congregation.

Sister Cherubina started her journey of faith in the garden of Carmel doing God’s will and establishing his Kingdom through her life of simplicity, obedience, humility, gratitude and respect with sisterly love and loyalty to the Superiors. From 1959 to 2023, she rendered dedicated and unstinted service in the various convents, she was transferred. Medona Convent, Kasargod was her first posting. From there she was transferred to the Presentation Convent, Maryhill, St. Ann’s Convent, Carmel Convent, Bantwal, St. Joseph’s Convent, Mysore, Carmel Convent, Asha Niketan, St. Cecily’s Convent, Udupi, Mary Immaculate Convent, Bangalore, Annunciation Convent, Mangalore, Shanthi Nilaya, Nanjangud and once again from 2001 to 2010 Carmel Convent, Asha Niketan, Mangalore. 

Sister Cherubina was an expert in culinary art. Her main assignment was to be the mess minister and in charge of the kitchen.  Blessed with good planning ability and readiness for any hard work, she involved herself in a variety of household chores in the communities she was assigned. Procuring provisions from the market, preparing variety of delicious dishes and snacks for the sisters, taking charge of the compound and farm, supervising the farm workers, collecting the farm produce of vegetables and fruits and also attending to the weekly laundry work. She considered every duty as God’s work and did it with utmost love and dedication. There was no retirement in the service she rendered. Even in her old age when she was confined to the walker and wheel chair, she was available to the sisters and the kitchen staff for consultation regarding the ingredients of different ‘recipes’. At times, when ‘Kuswar’ or any festal meal had to be prepared, sitting on the wheel chair she guided the sisters and the domestic workers in the kitchen.

In the year 2010 while at Asha Niketan Convent, Mangalore, she had a stroke and was partially paralyzed. She was treated at Father Muller Hospital. As an invalid she joined the community of St. Mary’s Convent Marjil, Mangalore in the same year. She was highly diabetic and suffered from high Blood Pressure.  The maid Callista was employed to look after her. She recovered gradually with the treatment and care provided in the convent and was able to move about with the help of a walker or the wheel chair.  In spite of being weak and feeble due to ill health, she was regular in attending Mass, spiritual and other community exercises. She prepared the daily liturgy of the Mass on the previous day by reading the Word of God and the reflections from Bible Diary. She was part of the prayer and suffering force comprising the aged and ailing sisters, prayed extra rosaries, and offered them for the needs of the Church and the Congregation. Confined to the bed of pain, she suffered silently without complaining for almost 12 years. She is remembered for her life of prayer and deep faith in God, spirit of endurance in suffering and relentless hard work done with great love.

On 17 October 2023, she was wheeled to the Chapel for morning Mass as usual. She received Communion, her last viaticum. While having breakfast sitting on her bed, she had a sudden severe seizure and went into unconsciousness. Sisters attended to her immediately and shifted her to Fr Muller hospital by ambulance. The doctors diagnosed that she had a stroke and found her totally paralyzed. The treatment provided in the hospital brought her diabetes and B.P. to normal stage. As she did not show any sign of recovery of coming to consciousness even after seven days of hospitalization, Dr Roshan asked Sr Maria Kripa, the superior to take her home and provide palliative care. She was discharged from the hospital on 23 October 2023.  For a few days Mrs. Jenevive, a home nurse was employed and thereafter for a month Preethi, our domestic helper looked after her with great love and care in the convent. The superior and sisters spent time with her praying for her at different hours of the day. 

Sister Cherubina was closely connected with her loved ones. Her sisters, brothers, nephews, nieces and cousins enquired after her wellbeing through phone calls and visits. She was a source of strength and comfort to her relatives and family members by her prayers and sacrifices. Her two sisters, Mrs. Flavy and Mrs. Rita and family members were present for the funeral service.

We are grateful to Rev Fr Bonaventure, Vicar of our Lady of Miracles, Milagres church for visiting Sr Cherubina during her illness. As soon as she passed away, he immediately came to the convent, prayed over the mortal remains and helped us to make all the arrangements for the funeral and burial.   We owe our gratitude to Dr Roshan who treated Sr Cherubina during her illness. When she breathed her last, he came to the convent instantly to certify her death.  Sr Shamita, our provincial superior along with her team visited the convent, the moment they received the news of her demise, and offered their help and support. 

Our grateful thanks to our dear Sr Ellen Marie who helped to keep ready the mortal remains to be laid out in the convent chapel at 9.30 am. A few of our sisters, ACAs, Sr Cherubina’s family members paid their last respects and prayed for her. We thank his Lordship, Most Rev. Dr Peter Paul Saldanha for praying and blessing the mortal remains of our dear sister.  At 4.15 pm, Rev Fr Bonaventure blessed the mortal remains in the convent chapel and thereafter it  was shifted to Our Lady of Miracles, Milagres Church. Rev Fr Bonaventure along with Fr Uday Fernandes celebrated the Eucharist at 5 pm. We are grateful to all our sisters of the local convents, novices, sisters from other congregation, ACAs, family members of Sr Cherubina and the parishioners who attended the funeral service and the burial. Sr Cherubina was laid to rest in our Lady of Miracles, Milagres Church, Cemetery.  

Dear Sr Cherubina, you have given yourself totally to Jesus and loved Him with all your heart, mind, body and spirit. You have loved and served your sisters with a loving and generous heart unmindful of your health, time and energy. We believe in faith, that your beloved Lord whom you loved so dearly has rewarded you with eternal bliss in the company of all the saints and angles for all the loving services you have rendered over the years and for your goodness of heart. Pray to the Lord for us that we too may one day enter the gates of paradise when we leave this earthly dwelling. Adieu dear sister till we meet again. 

                          BIO DATA