Sr. Jessy Joseph Pulickal was sent on mission from Ooty Province to Peru, South America in 1995. Sister shares her life in the mission where she is involved in various ministries
I am happy to share my life experience at the service of the people in the beautiful land of Peru. Peru is near to the equator, all through the year the climatically it relatively hot except in Andes (La Cordillera) which is 3000 mts. Above the sea level Peru, largest in area in the Andean countries was the cradle of the most advanced indigenous civilizations and most powerful empire in pre- Columbian South America- that of Incas. The Incas conquered the Andean people and fostered among the most advanced of ancient American civilizations. The Inca empire ended with the conquest of its hart land and capital Cuzco (1433 –1531) by the Spaniards under Francisco Pizzaro. Peru declared independence on 28 July1821.
The country is divided into 24 regions, which are subdivided into 179 Provinces. Peru is governed by a President who is elected for a term of five years. Lima is the capital of Peru, which is highly populated.
Nearly 26% of the population resides in Lima. The ethnic composition of the population is estimated as: Red Indians (they call as Indios) 46%, Mestizos 37%, whites 15% and the rest (blacks, Japanese, Chinese and others) are 3%. Spanish is the official language spoken by about 2/3rd of the population. The majority of Indians speak Quechua and Imara. About 90% of the population is Roman Catholic. The people are friendly and hospitable. Due to terrorism in 1980s people were the victims of untold suffering. The literacy rate is very low and unemployment is a great problem. In the recent past the country went through a lot of political unrest.
Mission
After learning the language I was sent to Yungay- Huaraz. Huaraz is the capital of the Ancash department. Here, the Cordillera Blanca a magnificent range of snow-covered mountains is the most popular hiking region of South America. Along 120 Kms in length of the La Cordillera is the world’s largest concentration of glaciers lying within the tropical zone, and twenty peaks over 6000 meters, the highest mountains of Peru.
I was in this place for three years and I cherish every moment that I lived here. In the community we were four sisters belonging to three nationalities (Peru, Spain and India). All of us were engaged in the Pastoral ministry, which consisted of giving formation to Catechists in the rural areas, preparing children and adults for the reception of the Sacraments through family Catechesis, formation of youth, and conducting retreats. Training of health workers, giving medical assistance, visiting the families was part of our ministry. Giving coaching classes for the children, providing midday meals for the poor school children and attending to the needs of the old and abandoned people enabled us to reach out to many in the near and far areas. In short we as a community were all in all to work together as a leaven among the people.
At present I am in Arequipa (the White city). It is located about 1000Kms from Lima the capital, at a height of 2,325 mts. in the Desert Mountains of the Andes. This beautiful city is practically built out of Sillar a kind of white volcanic stones. This why Arequipa is called the white city. With one million inhabitants, Arequipa is the 2nd biggest city of Peru. Here I am in the Pre-novitiate community of eight sisters consisting of four nationalities (Peruvian, Spanish, Mexican and Indian). Here we are engaged in education. Four of us work in the school; I am assigned to be in administration section. Besides the office work I help in the Pastoral vocation programme, and formation of Associates.
Charism
Like Mary of the Passion, God has called each one of us to fulfill His plan of building up of His Kingdom wherever we are. Living in the international community is demanding, at the same time very enriching. Really it is a mutual conversion. Like Mary our mother we offer our whole being in complete disponibility. Often it is an experience of Paschal Mystery- an experience of ‘dying’ in order to bear abundant fruit. In the Eucharist I find strength and courage to go forward. I see the manifestations of God’s love and His presence in all my undertakings- in our living together, sharing our God experiences, collaboration in the mission of the Church. With God’s blessings and support of the sisters I am able to launch into my apostolate joyfully and effectively. I had to face a great deal of challenges in the years of my stay in the first mission. The pleasant and unpleasant experiences in both have helped me to grow as an integrated person, to have a broader vision about life and mission, to be daring and courageous in order to launch into the unknown and unfamiliar paths. I thank God for calling me to live this Universal mission –serving Him by dedicating my life for the service of His children in Peru.
Empowerment of women - this was the one aim of Blessed Mary of the Passion in serving the less fortunate that led her to open educational institutions, health-care services and set up small income-generating works for women. We respond to the cry of the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized, especially the women through the same services today. We work for the integrity of creation through non-violence and eco-justice, sharing God's gifts with all.
Her farsightedness in establishing a printing press in the 19th century itself, to publish The Annals of the Institute as a means of sharing news and views with the wider public has set the trend for us to utilize the potent means of the media to communicate the compassionate face of God to all peoples thereby promoting communion and human relationships.
