Disciples of the Divine Master
Irish Delegation (PDDM)
“By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples” (Jn 13, 35)
 

 Vocation stories: Sr Stella
 

Country of origin: India  
The following is the sharing which silver jubilarian Sr. Stella gave in the PDDM chapel
in Dublin, September 2008,
 in occasion of the Year of Vocation.

        " I have called you by name.   You are mine!"    Is, 43; 1

I thank God for the great gift of my religious vocation which I have lived for the past 29 years. I always felt that prayer before the Eucharist has been my source of strength and enlightenment for my vocation and mission. In all our chapels we have the words that you see on the wall above the tabernacle: They are the words of Jesus Master to our Founder in a time of crisis: "Do not be afraid I am with you".  These words have been a great help to me in difficult times. They have also been a source of comfort joy and strength in my daily life. Our Founder said that he saw Jesus putting his hand on the tabernacle and saying to him:" from here, (Tabernacle) I will enlighten you." 

We know that we all receive our vocation in Baptism. Often it takes years before we recognize it. In my case when I was little my mother used to bring me to Mass on Sundays.  On one particular Sunday the Gospel message was Jesus calling the disciples. I was deeply struck by the invitation of Jesus Master: “Come follow me”. From that moment on I deeply felt the call, or vocation, and the desire to consecrate myself totally to Jesus.

At the age of 8, I made my First Holy Communion.  I still remember the joy I felt when I received Jesus in the Eucharist for the very first time. After making my First Holy Communion I went to Mass every morning until I was 19. I was so taken up with my love for Jesus in the Eucharist that I undertook cleaning the church and I went to prayer meetings and various activities in the Parish, especially the Music Ministry. When I was 16 I began to discern my vocation with the parish priest, my spiritual director. He gave me a vocation prayer to pray for 9 days. And after that he advised me to look into the Congregation of the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master. I wanted to spend my life in the presence of the Eucharist and I was so blessed to have a wonderful parish priest who was my Spiritual Director, Fr. Charles Lewis. He knew the Divine Master Sisters and he encouraged me to “go and see” them. In fact he has sent several girls to our Congregation.

I was convinced that Jesus was calling me to the religious life. However my father was strongly against it. But thank God for my mother who managed to calm him down and also the parish priest, Fr. Charles was able to help him to understand.   However that did not ease the pain of my family, it is the same for all families, the parents feel they are losing their child. At 19 I joined these sisters in Bombay, which is 24 hours by bus from my home in Mangalore. My initial formation began there and continued in Bangalore. I made first vows on the 15^th of August 1983 and began my missionary journey in Allah bad, North India.

 I served in various communities throughout India and made my final Profession on the 10^th of February 1990 in Mangalore, my home parish. Then my superiors asked me to go to Ireland……..!!!!  In 1992 I was sent as a missionary to Ireland – in Dublin. It took a lot of prayer, courage and support for me to take the first step out of my country to go to the other side of the world, a cold country, and a different culture. It was cause of more suffering for my family especially for my parents. However, with God’s help, it has been a wonderful experience.  What sustained me most, especially at times of crisis? My prayer life and the loving support of the sisters in the community. Also the prayers of my family. And also you, our friends who support us by your prayer and words of encouragement. For this I am very grateful!

 Glossary of words you might come across whilst reading the vocation testimonies