SR. CELIA MARIAPRAGASAM-ITALY.

                Sr.Celia Mariapragsam was sent on mission from India, Ooty Province to Italy in the year 1996.        She was in San Remo community before she was assigned to another Mission at Nemi in the year 2005. Sister Celia now shares her life in the missions.

“Never say Enough” – these words of our Mother foundress motivated me to opt for foreign mission after my retirement as Headmistress of Bethlehem Higher Sec. School Ootacamund, Nilgiris Dt. I was assigned to the Italian Province, which naturally demands a fairly good knowledge of Italian and French. By God’s grace over the fourteen years of my missionary experience here in Italy I am able to communicate well in both these languages.  

The Country and the People 

My mission in Nemi began in February 2005.

During the 2000 Millenium edition, Nemi was awarded the Guinness record for the world’s biggest bowl of strawberries.Every year on the day before the strawberry festival, an exhibition of the flowers cultivated by local flower-growers in the lake-valley is set up in Ruspoli castle

and in the picturesque corners of the town. 

The many attractions such as the unspoiled environment, Ruspoli castle, the Roman ship museum and the archeological sites such as the temple of Diana, the Villa of Julius Caesar and many others contribute to make Nemi one of the most interesting tourist attractions in the immediate vicinity of Rome.  

The first traces of human settlements in the valley of the lake date from the Bronze Age or earlier. The famous sanctuary of the Most Holy Crucifix is found in the monastery, which once belonged to the Franciscans and is now the property of the Mercedari Order. It is situated in the centre of the town. The people of Nemi are simple and work in flower gardens and excellent craftsmen.

 Community Living 

Here at Nemi we live in a small International FMM community. We live in the clinic ‘Villa delle Quene’ and share the same food prepared for the inmates of the hospital. Each of us is assigned a Ward. We live with people giving spiritual animation to the patients. Our FMM presence in the midst of these poor, infirm and abandoned is very challenging. We thus give a testimony to others.

              My mission

To sacrifice myself for “Universal Mission” has always been my passion. For the first eight years (1996- 2004) I was assigned to San Remo, the hallowed spot for all FMMs as it is the place where our mother Foundress breathed her last and thereafter to Nemi. Both these places had tourist attraction and both missions demand active involvement in pastoral Ministry. For the beatification of our Mother Foundress, the Mayor sent fresh flowers from San Remo to St. Peter’s Rome for the occasion.

                      Our multinational presence in the community matched with the multicultural presence of the people .

As a member of the fraternity (Guadalupe) at San Remo I was engaged in welcoming visitors, particularly FMM  sisters from other countries. To these visitors I would explain about the last days of our Foundress and her peaceful death commending herself to her Divine Master. I was able to do this for the Italian and English groups. Thus I had the privilege of meeting many sisters from India who made the pilgrimage to San Remo. The rest of the time I was involved in the Pastoral Ministry of visiting families, and the physically challenged people found in two houses of repose. The home-bound elderly living alone needed a visit from me. Thus in some simple ways I shared the Good News of Christ’s peace and joy which no wealth or power can give. I truly consider this ministry of mine a special gift from the Lord.  

In the year 2005 I was assigned to another mission at Nemi Here I am a Chaplain in the Medical Rehabilitation Ward where I meet patients of all ages and all social backgrounds from different parts of the world. Although the inmates are Catholics who can afford medical treatment at this ‘Villa delle Querce Clinic’ a few of them practice their religion. They neither do they express a desire to know their faith or frequent the Sacraments. Those who explicitly desire to receive the Eucharist; I bring Holy Communion to them on Sundays. Others I visit daily, and I share a prayer and thought from the Bible. If the person is a professed Atheist a general gesture of good will and a joyful greeting is all that I could share. This Villa dele Querce Clinc’ is run by a lay organization. We as a community collaborate with them in this mission of healing.

                                                                                      Sr. Celia Mariapragasam fmm

                                                                              Nemi  17-3-2010