Activist Nirmalini elected Carmelite provincial

She was elected provincial on Sunday during the congregational chapter, now underway at the Provincial House in Bandra, a suburb of Mumbai.

Sister Nirmalini

Mumbai:  Apostolic Carmel Sister Nirmalini, a social activist and outspoken principal of New Delhi's Carmel Convent, was elected the new provincial of her congregation for a term of three years.

Sister Nirmalini, recipient of the best teacher award in Delhi for 2014, has always in the forefront of human rights activism and a strong supporter of Arvind Kejriwal’s ‘India Against Corruption’, before he took his political avatar.

She was elected provincial on Sunday during the congregational chapter, now underway at the Provincial House in Bandra, a suburb of Mumbai.

The 48-year-old nun, also the secretary of Education Commission both at the Delhi Archdiocese as well as the ecclesiastical Northern region, is expected to bring in fresh ideas into the province.

Known for her creativity and her love for the poor, she recently started special programme of education for the parents of rather backward Catholic students. “One cannot teach one’s children to compete with the rich with lots of resources, unless you too are educated”, is her new formula for the uplift of Catholic families.

“There is no point in constantly blaming our children for doing poorly in class, unless we take the responsibility and accept that we (church) are to be blamed if our people perform below average. I must do something for them”, says she.

“It will be a big loss for Delhi”, said Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi on hearing the news while Bishop Ignatius of Simla-Chandigarh said: “this will be a great loss for the Northern region”.

With her exposure as well as experience of working in Delhi with the central ministers, courts or indeed with other activists accompanied with her sharp intelligence, are going to be great assets for the province as she takes over this great responsibility on her shoulders”, said Fr. Dominic Emmanuel SVD, media consultant and a close associate of the school.

One of the senior most teachers of the school, Annie Matthews said: “We will feel a terrible void in Delhi but then, the province needs a dynamic and highly talented person like Sr. Nirmalini who will do a great deal of good, not just for the province but for the whole Catholic community.”

Press Release