Salesian Missionaries to observe 125th anniv of Gertrude’s arrival

It was on November 2, 1889 when Sister Marie Gertrude got off a train at Nagpur railway station. The French nun had come to the city to work for betterment of women and children. She stayed in India for 16 years, most of them were spent in the city where she left a fine legacy of work and institutions. Quarter and a century later the Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate in the city is celebrating the event with a candle march.
Giving the details, Sister Roseline Felicie, the postulator for the cause of Mother Mary Gertrude said, “The celebrations on Sunday will begin with a holy mass at the chapel situated on campus of Providence Girls High School at 5.30pm. The candle march will start from the railway station and proceed towards the chapel at 7.30pm. There will be prayers and blessings once it reaches here.” The main celebrations will be held on November 9 at Ish Kripa Hall. That would include a holy mass followed by a cultural programme. As a build-up to the event, the altar at the chapel and the tomb were decorated for nine days of Novena by the sisters at the convent.
Sister Marie had arrived in Nagpur to work for women and children. “Those were the times from 1885 to 1891 when this city saw a lot of deaths and diseases. There were cholera and plague outbreaks which left many children orphaned and many women widowed. Sister Marie came here to work and care for these unfortunate ones,” informs Felicie.
“On her arrival she stayed at the Bhonsla palace in Mahal. Later a place at Untkhana was given to her by Bhonslas to carry out her work. It was the area where their animals were kept. Lepers and those suffering with incurable diseases also lived there.” A home for elderly and physically challenged persons was set up by Marie to take care of suffering persons living at Untkhana. She also set up an orphanage at the premises where Providence school is located now.” Sister Marie also took charge of a Marathi medium school, Pushpika Prathmik Kanya Shala which the missionaries had set up in this region for widows and girl child. “The school today is known as Providence but the orphanage had to be closed down,” informs Felicie.
There are many who have reported the healings and favours received through her intercession or prayers. Based on these, the process of beatification and canonization of Marie Gertrude was started on December 13, 2012. “She was famous in the region as Amma and the school is still called Amma school,” she says.
Marie died on March 18 1905 at Dhaka and her body was brought four days later to Nagpur and was buried in the chapel.