Sr Cresentia BS, belonging to the Congregation of Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany, and the senior most nun in the congregation, aged 103, passed away, on Friday night.
Born in Goa, the nun was said to have been inspired by the founder of Bethany Sisters Rev Msgr Raymond F C Mascarenhas, when she was just 10. In her long life, she had served at various places including Gurupur, Puttur, Siddakatte, Kanajar, Kinnigoli, Dharwad and Kadur convents in the state apart from neighbouring state Kerala.
Out of the 77 years of her religious life, she lived in Holy Family Convent, Nirkana, Vagga of Bantwal taluk for 34 years since 1978. The people of Nirkana were fondly calling her ‘grandmother’ and when the news of her demise was spread on Saturday morning, people rushed in large number to have a glimpse on her.
The nun’s 100th birthday was celebrated in a grand way three years ago and Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza and concelebrated the holy mass in the presence of large number of nuns of the congregation of Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany at St Thomas the Apostle Church at Nirkan.
Catholics often came to her to share their worries and seek the counsel of the ‘grandmother’ and she “had the medicine of prayer and guidance,” said Celine Vas, a Bethany nun.
The nun’s last rites will be performed on Sunday wherein many priests and nuns among others are expected to participate.