The Daughters of St. Anne Ranchi, based in Ranchi, the capital of India’s Jharkhand state, is an indigenous religious congregation founded nearly 120 years ago, in 1897 by Mother Mary Bernadette Prasad Kispotta, a local Chotanagpur tribal woman, together with three of her companions. With the opening of the process of her sainthood in the Archdiocese of Ranchi on Aug. 7 this year, Mother Kispotta became the first tribal woman of India to be declared a “Servant of God” by the Catholic Church. Last week in the first part of an interview with the Superior General of the Daughters of St. Anne, Ranchi, Sr. Linda Mary Vaughn, we came to know how Mother Kispotta, who was a Lutheran, converted to Catholicism. She fought of pressures from her family to get married, saying, if nothing else, she would remain single to serve the Loreto nuns. Inspired by the sacrifice and dedication of the Loreto...
The Daughters of St. Anne Ranchi, based in Ranchi, the capital of India’s Jharkhand state, is an indigenous religious congregation founded nearly 120 years ago, in 1897 by Mother Mary Bernadette Prasad Kispotta, a local Chotanagpur tribal woman, together with three of her companions. With the opening of the process of her sainthood in the Archdiocese of Ranchi on Aug. 7 this year, Mother Kispotta became the first tribal woman of India to be declared a “Servant of God” by the Catholic Church.
Last week in the first part of an interview with the Superior General of the Daughters of St. Anne, Ranchi, Sr. Linda Mary Vaughn, we came to know how Mother Kispotta, who was a Lutheran, converted to Catholicism. She fought of pressures from her family to get married, saying, if nothing else, she would remain single to serve the Loreto nuns. Inspired by the sacrifice and dedication of the Loreto nuns and the Belgian Jesuits from Calcutta, Mother Kispotta decided to found an order of her own that would easily associate and mingle with the tribal people, who lived in grinding poverty and were exploited and crushed by the landlords. But for that, Mother Kispotta had to wait 8 years before being granted permission to found the Daughters of St. Anne Ranchi known by their initials, DSA Ranchi. Sr. Vaughn said her order’s main thrust is pastoral work, which is carried out through education, healthcare and social work. What began with just 4 members, is today a congregation with 1040 members, in 140 communities in India, Italy and Germany, with three more opening this year.
Well, today, in the final part of this interview, Sr. Vaughn begins by telling us about the schools of the Daughters of St. Anne Ranchi.
null / Credit: Peter Hermes Furian via ShutterstockACI Prensa Staff, Apr 19, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) on April 19 condemned the kidnapping and murder of a catechist in Burkina Faso, West Africa.In a news brief, ACN informed ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, that catechist Edouard Yougbare was kidnapped on Thursday night by "terrorists, and his lifeless body was found near Zigni this morning."According to other local sources, along with Yougbare, who was a member of Saatenga parish in Fada Gourma, Burkina Faso, more people were kidnapped and murdered."We are heartbroken by the loss of Yougbare. He served his community faithfully and his death is a devastating blow for the people of Saatenga," lamented Spaniard María Lozano, press and public relations director of ACN International."Catechists in Burkina Faso are on the front lines, risking their lives for the good of their people. Just two months ago, ano...
Pope Francis addresses the faithful at his Wednesday general audience on March 27, 2024. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Apr 19, 2024 / 10:07 am (CNA).In the latest move in Pope Francis' reform of the Vatican judiciary, the pope issued a new motu proprio on Friday on the retirement age and benefits for cardinal judges and magistrates in the Vatican's court system.The April 19 motu proprio states that Vatican magistrates will retire at the end of the judicial year in which they turn 75 and cardinal judges at the age of 80, unless Pope Francis asks them to remain in office beyond the age limit.Magistrates and judges who wish to resign from office before the retirement age can only do so with the approval of the pope.The pope also has the prerogative to dismiss magistrates unable to fulfill their duties at any time. Upon the termination of their duties, magistrates will retain the rights to assistance and welfare provided to Vatican citizens and employees.The motu proprio, wh...
Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski of Krakow announced on April 14, 2024, the decision to begin the process of beatification and canonization of Helena Agnieszka Kmiec, a young lay missionary murdered in Bolivia in 2017. / Credit: The Helena Kmiec FoundationACI Prensa Staff, Apr 19, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski of Krakow, Poland, announced the decision to begin the process of beatification and canonization of Helena Agnieszka Kmiec, a young lay missionary murdered in Bolivia in 2017.The prelate said that after the preliminary phase began in December 2022, he made the decision to officially open the process for Kmiec after having consulted the Polish Bishops' Conference and receiving the go-ahead from the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints."With this edict I call on all those who have any document, letter, or information about the Servant of God, both positive and negative, to send them to the Metropolitan Curia of Krakow before June 30," the archbish...