With the dusk of the 27th day of April so does the life of Sr. Bernadette Simsang Sangma aged 53 faded away into the eternal abode. She was the third born to Mr. George N. Marak and Late Mrs. Lucia S. Sangma of Bishop’s Compound, Tura. In the past thirty years of her life in the congregation of the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, she dedicated her life for the welfare of women and young people in particular at world level.

Sr. Bernadette obtained her Doctorate in Methodology of Education from the Pontifical University of the Salesians in Rome. She spent most of her years serving at the Generalate of the Salesian Sisters in Rome in the capacity of a consultant to the Salesian Family Sector in the years 1998 -2011. Her expertise was seen in the field of the empowerment of women. In this quality during these thirteen years of service she had represented the congregation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women for its annual meetings and conventions.  She was instrumental in obtaining an affiliation of membership of the Salesian Sisters in the United Nations Organization. After which she was entrusted with the work of conducting the side event of UNO at New York.  In 2011, when this mission was accomplished she longed to come back to Meghalaya but the Major Superiors entrusted her with a new mission as the Director of the Institute of Youth Ministry (IYM) at Tangaza College, Nairobi – Kenya where she had been a visiting professor since 2006. With a short span of two years Sr. Bernadette selflessly worked for the recognition of the IYM which has been running for many years. Today it has won a name and prestige in the college and soaring for greater heights of success. In her third year of service in the college her physical strength permits her no longer to continue the task and hence was brought home for her medical treatment. She bravely fought the battle this year long but has now been plucked up by the Master for his own glory.

She was much loved for her virtue of humility and simplicity. Intelligent yet unassuming in her ways, she managed to win the hearts of many young lives that have come into contact with her. We are proud of this daughter of the land in the person of Sr. Bernadette who with such a great calibre has earned recognition of the tribals of North east India.