The "ultimate
sacrifice" of Sister Valsa, murdered by the coal mafia, has breathed "new meaning"
into spirituality and the "apostolate," said Sister Shalini Mulackal as she
talked about the Catholic nun killed
a year ago for her steadfast defence of Santal Tribals in Dumka (Jharkand).
On the first
anniversary of her death, Mgr Vincent
Concessao, archbishop of New Delhi, celebrated a Memorial Mass on 24 November
in the city's Sacred Heart Cathedral.
Before the liturgy, the prelate moderated a meeting on
the topic of "Being a Prophet in India Today - Our Master's Way" in
memory of the slain Sister of Charity of Jesus and Mary.
Originally from Kerala, Sister Valsa
John was shot in cold blood during the night of 15 November 2011. To this day,
her murder remains
unsolved. Initially, police thought Maoist
rebels were involved.
However, many
people thought from the start that the local coal mafia had been behind
the assassination.
For more
than 20 years, the nun dedicated her life to Santal Tribals in the Dumka area,
fighting for their rights against land grabs by the powerful coal lobby.
At the start of the meeting, a video
was screened showing the mission Sister Valsa pursued until the day of her
murder.
Afterwards, Sister Mary Scaria talked about some of the moments in the
life of her fellow nun, especially her relations to local communities and the
repeated threats made by local organised crime groups.
At the same time, the nun
expressed her pain over the "growing isolation" in which Sister Valsa was left,
"by the Church and her congregation".
The meeting was organised by the Catholic
Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) Office for Women, the People's
Initiative for Legal Literacy and Research (Pillar), Media House, the
All India Catholic Union, the All India Christian Council and
Sadbhavana.