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By all appearances, Devi, a mother of three, lived happily in a good home surrounded by her loving husband, two sons and a daughter. But beneath the calm surface, all was not well. The first outward sign came when she stopped combing her hair, leaving it unkempt for days. Soon, her behavior reflected her disheveled hair; she became more mercurial and aggressive, prone to explosions of uncontrolled rage — even violence.
A woman participates in an outdoor prayer session; photo: Meenakshi SomanDistraught, her family felt frightened and powerless to help.
Through a relative, her husband learned about a center in northern Kerala run by the Bethany Sisters that helps women experiencing psychological problems. He decided to place his faith in these women religious.
The Trippadam Psychosocial Rehabilitation Center for Women received Devi into a warm environment, offering compassion and a broad range of professional care. The sisters fed her, befriended her and helped her integrate into the life of the center, encouraging her to participate in activities and pitching in with chores. Her family visited her regularly.
Once her health improved, the psychiatrist gave her the all clear to return home. Her husband came to pick her up, and today she is doing well.
“This is what we aim to do here,” says Sister Tabitha, the administrator of the center that cares for women, noting that “some of them are abandoned by their families.” Others, such as Devi, are simply brought here to convalesce for a time, she says.
“We’re here to help those who have nowhere else to go,” says Sister Tabitha. “This is our service to Jesus.”
Based in the quaint little hill town of Sultan Bathery in Kerala’s Wayanad district, the Trippadam (Malayalam for “the feet of Christ”) Center began in 2001 as a facility for single mothers and their children, as well as older women without a home. In 2013, it undertook a shift in focus, becoming a place where women with mental health problems can stay.
Sister Darsana chats with residents while completing her rounds; photo: Meenakshi Soman“Their families bring them here and leave them in our care,” Sister Tabitha says of the five sisters who, together with a few health care professionals, care for about 50 residents. “Everyone needs love and care; someone to look after them. Some of the residents have children, a husband, extended family, but no one wants them. Their families have disowned and abandoned them.”
On an early evening in May, amid jackfruit season in Kerala, women help themselves to the huge jackfruits hanging from a large tree on the center’s property.
“We harvested quite a few,” Sister Tabitha says, the fragrance of the ripe fruit hanging heavy in the air. “That’s what our women have been doing today. Cutting and chopping jackfruit is an art and it takes absolutely ages.” But, she says, the activity also gives focus to hand and mind.
That precisely is what the routine of the center is about. “The women here need discipline; they need their day to have structure and they need to know how their time is going to be filled,” she explains.
The residents wake up at 5:30, when the sisters bring them coffee in bed. They go to the chapel for prayer and meditation, followed by the Divine Liturgy. After breakfast, they collaborate on various tasks — such as cleaning the house, working in the garden, tending to the cattle and cooking. After lunch, they nap or otherwise relax. They gather again for evening prayer before supper, and finally retire to bed at 9.
“Prayer is a great cure; it is uplifting, it gives hope to the heart.” While a majority of residents are Christian, the center hosts Hindu and Muslim women as well. The sisters do not proselytize, but nevertheless invite all the women to pray together as a way to foster an inclusive environment. “Everyone joins in to pray to God. It is his miracle that we are alive.” Through their love and dedication, the sisters work to ensure these women at the margins of society are never truly abandoned.
Residents gather for prayer and group discussion in the outdoor spaces of the center; photo: Meenakshi SomanThe Congregation of the Sisters of the Imitation of Christ, known colloquially as the Bethany Sisters, is a community of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. Founded in 1925 by Servant of God Mar Ivanios, the first metropolitan archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, the Bethany Sisters lay emphasis on liturgical life, prayer and contemplation.
“One of the charisms of our congregation is the empowerment of women,” Sister Tabitha says. In Kerala alone, there are 828 Bethany Sisters and 22 novices across the southwestern state of the Indian subcontinent. However, the sisters are present around the world, with activities extending from Asia to Europe, the Americas to Africa.
Despite the challenges of distance, the leadership of the sisters keeps abreast of their apostolates. Of the Trippadam Center, Sister Tabitha notes, “we have a board, mother provincial and four councilors who get together every few months to see how we are doing.
“Most of our [center’s] residents are women from the north of Kerala because that is where we are geographically,” she says...
“Most women come from families that aren’t financially sound. So they can’t help us with money,” Sister Darsana says. “All the monetary help we get from the provincial office is used up in maintaining the center. There’s never enough to get the extra work done.” Nevertheless, centers such as this one have an important role to play — not only in Kerala, but India broadly.
“All around the country there are women with mental health problems. Women here are counseled and encouraged in their tasks — no matter how small,” Sister Darsana says. As the sun sets on this May evening in Sultan Bathery, the residents at the Trippadam Psychosocial Rehabilitation Center for Women finish their prayers in the garden and head indoors. Sister Darsana leads them inside.
“Sometimes we are full of hope that things will get better for women here. But in our hearts we know that some of them will be with us until their last breath,” she says. “We need help to provide better care and facilities for them. We have to give them more comfort, more warmth and more shelter.
“We know Christ is here with us and he will help us.”
A woman participates in an outdoor prayer session; photo: Meenakshi SomanDistraught, her family felt frightened and powerless to help.Through a relative, her husband learned about a center in northern Kerala run by the Bethany Sisters that helps women experiencing psychological problems. He decided to place his faith in these women religious.
The Trippadam Psychosocial Rehabilitation Center for Women received Devi into a warm environment, offering compassion and a broad range of professional care. The sisters fed her, befriended her and helped her integrate into the life of the center, encouraging her to participate in activities and pitching in with chores. Her family visited her regularly.
Once her health improved, the psychiatrist gave her the all clear to return home. Her husband came to pick her up, and today she is doing well.
“This is what we aim to do here,” says Sister Tabitha, the administrator of the center that cares for women, noting that “some of them are abandoned by their families.” Others, such as Devi, are simply brought here to convalesce for a time, she says.
“We’re here to help those who have nowhere else to go,” says Sister Tabitha. “This is our service to Jesus.”
Based in the quaint little hill town of Sultan Bathery in Kerala’s Wayanad district, the Trippadam (Malayalam for “the feet of Christ”) Center began in 2001 as a facility for single mothers and their children, as well as older women without a home. In 2013, it undertook a shift in focus, becoming a place where women with mental health problems can stay.
Sister Darsana chats with residents while completing her rounds; photo: Meenakshi Soman“Their families bring them here and leave them in our care,” Sister Tabitha says of the five sisters who, together with a few health care professionals, care for about 50 residents. “Everyone needs love and care; someone to look after them. Some of the residents have children, a husband, extended family, but no one wants them. Their families have disowned and abandoned them.”On an early evening in May, amid jackfruit season in Kerala, women help themselves to the huge jackfruits hanging from a large tree on the center’s property.
“We harvested quite a few,” Sister Tabitha says, the fragrance of the ripe fruit hanging heavy in the air. “That’s what our women have been doing today. Cutting and chopping jackfruit is an art and it takes absolutely ages.” But, she says, the activity also gives focus to hand and mind.
That precisely is what the routine of the center is about. “The women here need discipline; they need their day to have structure and they need to know how their time is going to be filled,” she explains.
The residents wake up at 5:30, when the sisters bring them coffee in bed. They go to the chapel for prayer and meditation, followed by the Divine Liturgy. After breakfast, they collaborate on various tasks — such as cleaning the house, working in the garden, tending to the cattle and cooking. After lunch, they nap or otherwise relax. They gather again for evening prayer before supper, and finally retire to bed at 9.
“Prayer is a great cure; it is uplifting, it gives hope to the heart.” While a majority of residents are Christian, the center hosts Hindu and Muslim women as well. The sisters do not proselytize, but nevertheless invite all the women to pray together as a way to foster an inclusive environment. “Everyone joins in to pray to God. It is his miracle that we are alive.” Through their love and dedication, the sisters work to ensure these women at the margins of society are never truly abandoned.
Residents gather for prayer and group discussion in the outdoor spaces of the center; photo: Meenakshi SomanThe Congregation of the Sisters of the Imitation of Christ, known colloquially as the Bethany Sisters, is a community of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. Founded in 1925 by Servant of God Mar Ivanios, the first metropolitan archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, the Bethany Sisters lay emphasis on liturgical life, prayer and contemplation.“One of the charisms of our congregation is the empowerment of women,” Sister Tabitha says. In Kerala alone, there are 828 Bethany Sisters and 22 novices across the southwestern state of the Indian subcontinent. However, the sisters are present around the world, with activities extending from Asia to Europe, the Americas to Africa.
Despite the challenges of distance, the leadership of the sisters keeps abreast of their apostolates. Of the Trippadam Center, Sister Tabitha notes, “we have a board, mother provincial and four councilors who get together every few months to see how we are doing.
“Most of our [center’s] residents are women from the north of Kerala because that is where we are geographically,” she says...
“Most women come from families that aren’t financially sound. So they can’t help us with money,” Sister Darsana says. “All the monetary help we get from the provincial office is used up in maintaining the center. There’s never enough to get the extra work done.” Nevertheless, centers such as this one have an important role to play — not only in Kerala, but India broadly.
“All around the country there are women with mental health problems. Women here are counseled and encouraged in their tasks — no matter how small,” Sister Darsana says. As the sun sets on this May evening in Sultan Bathery, the residents at the Trippadam Psychosocial Rehabilitation Center for Women finish their prayers in the garden and head indoors. Sister Darsana leads them inside.“Sometimes we are full of hope that things will get better for women here. But in our hearts we know that some of them will be with us until their last breath,” she says. “We need help to provide better care and facilities for them. We have to give them more comfort, more warmth and more shelter.
“We know Christ is here with us and he will help us.”
(Republished with permission by Catholic Near East Welfare Association: CNEWA)