The Immaculate Heart of Mary Province Shillong in response to the emergency caused by the pandemic COVID-19 took up various activities in aiding the families and society at large in this troubled moment of history.

The communities of the province involved themselves in one way or the other in reaching out to the victims of lockdown. The main actitivities consisted of distribution of foodstuffs like rice, dhal, potato, onion, edible oil, bread, vegetables from the garden, grocery items and other essentials to the workers who are stranded and are not able to go home, families of evening school children, poor and sick families, orphans, inmates of M.C. Sisters’ home, very poor families in the interior villages and widows/widowers living in absolute poverty. Approximately 250 families have benefitted from the initiative of the Sisters. Secondly, the Sisters along with some helpers took up the stitching of protective masks and presenting them to the diocese, village heads, district administration and District Commerce & Industries Centre (DCIC) Meghalaya for free distribution to those who need them most. Upto now 11,350 protective face masks have been stitched and handed over.

Two of our institutions have already given space for quarantine; one at Auxilium Care and Support Centre Nongstoiñ and the other at Auxilium Secondary School Mawtnum – Nongpoh both in the state of Meghalaya. Two nurse Sisters serve in the helpline 108 of the state control room of Meghalaya offering online counselling to the citizens of the state and another nurse Sister is helping in the quarantine centre at Nongstoiñ.

A financial help was also given to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund of Meghalaya state through the Archdiocese of Shillong. The institutions that are based in the town also keep in touch with the teachers and students through online assignments and interaction. Even the provincial visitation to the communities were done online. Thanks to the advancement of technology that breaks the barrier of distance and the lockdown.  

Apart from the above activities, the Sisters in the various communities of the province spend more hours in adoration to the Blessed Sacrament, chain prayers and other devotions pleading God to stop the spread of the virus. Most of the communities joined in the CBCI prayer of consecration of the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary at 12 noon on Easter Sunday led by His Eminence, Oswald Cardinal Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay and at 6pm, in the state led prayer titled Meghalaya Prays led by the Chief Minister of Meghalaya Shri Conrad K. Sangma. Spiritually, the Sisters enriched themselves through the online Holy Eucharistic celebration, talks and reflection.

This moment in history gives the Sisters ample opportunity to live the clarion call of GC 24 of being communities that generate life.

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