FEROZ FERNANDES
It was a daring adventure for Goan girls who walked in the hills of Dadra-Nagar Haveli to reach out to tribal women in service. Five young girls, four Goan and one from Vasai, took shelter is a small house in Khanvel and from here began the story of Pilar Sisters Association, which completed 25 years on September 8.
Marking the occasion of Silver Jubilee, Pilar Sisters Association (PSA) held a Eucharistic celebration at Saviour of the World Church, Loutolim, where Archbishop Filip Neri Ferrao and Vicar General Fr Jose Remedios Fernandes, Superior General of Society of Pilar Fr Francis Carvalho, Fr Anthony Castello, Fr Galdhino Monteiro and Fr Bolais, parish priest were present along with 45 priests.
A special souvenir of PSA was released and a programme was held in the Panchayat Hall.
Four sisters of PSA, Srs Teodolina Fernandes, Joanita Miranda, Nina Lopes and Julie Aruj, completed 25 years, while Sr Sabina Fernandes (Loutolim) and Sr Diana Gonsalves (Neura) declared their perpetual pledge on the occasion.
Pilar Society started working in Nagar Haveli in 1940 and felt the need of religious sisters to work with women and children in the remote areas of Goa. This need was expressed at the X General Chapter of the Pilar Society in 1977 and was realized on September 8, 1988.
After a year, determined to be missionaries, the girls underwent a two-year formation training at Maria Assunta Convent Pune (FMM’s) and practical mission experience at Khanwel culminating in their first profession held at the Pilar Monastery.
The sisters moved to Goa and decided to have their headquarters in Goa. Late Dr Inacinho Monteiro gave the young girls the keys of the house in Orgao, Loutulim. Seeing the difficulties of the sick and aged who need help, the sisters set up a training institute, Jeevan Spandan (Pulse of Life), to train home nurses to medically assist the elderly. The sisters also implemented the Mother and Child Care Project of Caritas, a Christian charity, in Khanvel. Today, apart from teaching in the school, the sisters run a kindergarten ‘Wonder Kids’ to provide good educational foundation to the Adivasis.
Since 1992 young missionaries are trained at Orlim in a house donated by late Dona Clotildes Pereira Gomes and Late Dona Maria Pereira Gomes.
Today, the Pilar Sisters have a presence in Khanwel and Shelti (Nagar Haveli), Loutolim, Orlim, Valpoi, Sanguem, Cortalim, Pilar and Salvador-do-Mundo (Goa), Nampong (Arunachal Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Mansa (Punjab) and Greater Noida (U P).
The Pilar Sisters Association is in the process of being recognized as a Society of Apostolic Life.
