“The religious profession is a special consecration deeply rooted into the baptismal promises and is further an expression of it. By religious vows one is expected to keep the three evangelical counsels. They present themselves to God in loving above all things without reserve, and unite themselves to the mystery of the Church in a new way”

Life in Religious Family.

THE LIFE OF THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF
ST. THOMAS:

The Franciscan Sisters of St Thomas, Tamil Nadu, India are called  to follow the gospel of Christ in the footsteps of St. Thomas the apostle and St. Francis of Assisi.

God’s love, calls each one of us individually to follow Christ more closely by the example of St. Francis.

Every member of the Society is called to live in holiness that which leads to perfection of charity in following Christ. We need to be poor in spirit, humble and bearing his cross. We must continuously be deep-rooted in glorifying the heavenly Father to become worthy of sharing His glory in Heaven.

Mary the Mother of God said, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord” (Lk 1-38). Like her, we the members should pledge ourselves by public through the evangelical counsels of CHASTITY, POVERTY, and OBEDIENCE. These vows constitute a new and total consecration to Christ and His Church. This consecration is rooted in baptism and expresses the same in all its fullness.

OUR LIFE OF CHASTITY:

By the vow of chastity, relying on God’s word and help, we embrace a life of virginity of mind and body, preferring it to lawful marriage, so that we may attend to the things of God with an undivided heart that by an evangelical sisterly life we may herald that communion in love that is to come.

By the vow of chastity we bind ourselves to total continence and to avoiding all that might impair chastity or tarnish the purity of heart.

Chastity for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven is indeed a sign for the world and an incentive to love. It is a wonderful source of spiritual fruitfulness. It binds us with a lasting and exclusive bond to Christ and to our religious family, Sisterly love, on the other hand, through the vow of chastity, greatly contributes towards attaining a full and personal life.

OUR LIFE OF POVERTY:

We have deliberately chosen a life of poverty genuinely evangelical. The more shall we free ourselves from all earthly ties the better prepared shall we be for God and apostolate through service. By religious poverty not only we depend on our superiors in the use and disposition of things, but after the example of Christ, we aim at being poor in spirit and in fact.

OUR LIFE OF OBEDIENCE:

By the vow of Obedience we offer to God the dedication of our own will, uniting it with greater steadiness and security to the saving Will of God. We want to show humble and respectful obedience to our superiors as God’s representative in all things that, directly or indirectly, pertain to the keeping of our vows, the rule, the constitution and the directions. By the vow of obedience we submit with filial love and devotedness to the Roman Pontiff as to our highest superior. We also show obedience to the bishops and Fathers, submitting to their pastoral authority in diocesan churches.

OUR MINISTRIES:

Our first priority as consecrated persons is to make known to others the Gospel values through our very life and mission. Today more than ever, when God consciousness, sense of sin and the basic human values etc. are fading away into oblivion, proclaiming and witnessing the truth become a great challenge. We carry out this mission collaborating with the local Church and with the people of God in mutual respect and dialogue. Every community is involved in spreading the Word of God.

Our life is nourished by the Word of God celebrated daily in a true spirit of repentance and reconciliation. As the great event of the day, we deepen our Abba centered spirituality, grow in personal holiness and form a sisterly community. From this reconciled and deeply united sisterly community flows a greater apostolic energy.

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, like our Lady of Lourdes, we venture to meet the challenges of the times reaching out to everyone, especially women, girls and children in towns and villages.

In this missionary endeavour we are characterized by our radical way of following Christ and our Patron St. Thomas, manifested in our simple, humble, cheerful and transparent life-style, spirit of detachment, sacrifice and hard work.

PRIME MINISTRY:

The Franciscan sisters of St. Thomas have their primary goal and Charism as the direct evangelization of the people. They carry out their mission through their visit and contact with the people and by teaching the Word of God to every human being as far as it lies within their capacity. They receive strength by invoking the help and the grace of God and the protection of their patrons St. Thomas and St. Francis. They have as their Motto- Go and teach to all the nations (Mt.28-19).

HOME VISITATION:

In our mission we go from house to house visiting the families, the sick and the homebound, praying with them and for them. We listen to their problems, teach them simple matters of faith and morals and direct them in many areas of life for which they need guidance and counselling. We also try to bring peace to the troubled and broken families by uniting those who are separated.

VILLAGE APOSTOLATE:

During the village visitation we stay among the people, share their joys and sorrows, help them to improve their standard of living and  make them realize the dignity and freedom as God’s children.

PASTORAL MINISTRY:

We help to build up the particular Church by taking an active part in the pastoral and ministerial works entrusted to women religious. By these we encourage everyone to a full, conscious and active participation in the liturgical worship, to encounter Christ in the sacraments, and lead them to communion with God and to be witnesses of the risen Christ.

OTHER MINISTRIES:

The  secondary goals of this society are- All that pertains to the missionary work namely any work which will promote the glory of God, salvation of souls, the spiritual and temporal welfare and the liberation of the people of God.

The sisters live their commitment to its completeness with simplicity, modesty, sweetness, gentleness and joy in a spirit of piety, sacrifice and zeal.

They combine contemplation with apostolic zeal. Formerly they follow God in mind and heart and later they strive to associate themselves with the work of redemption in spreading the Kingdom of God.

HEALING MINISTRY:

As Jesus went about curing and healing every kind of disease and infirmity as a sign that the Kingdom of God had come, we too are encouraged by His charity and compassion. We see Christ in every suffering person and render Christlike care for their physical, mental and spiritual needs. This service is carried out mainly through our dispensaries, hospitals, and home for the senior citizens.

TEACHING MINISTRY:

Schools, Orphanages, and Vocational Centres:

 We run schools at various levels and medium, especially schools for village-girls, who are from poor families and would be working in the farms and fields to support their families. We assist them with the help of our institutions to complete their basic education. By our loving and caring presence with them we create an atmosphere conducive to grow in reverence and love for God, parents and teachers, civil and religious authorities and neighbours. They learn to be compassionate and generous towards all, especially the poor, aged, needy and the suffering. We also instil in them the virtues of love and respect for God’s creation and to be responsible citizens in our world.

EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN:

We conscientize women of their dignity and equitable place in the family and society. We empower them with the gospel values to liberate themselves from the evils that enslave them.

Cheerful when it was difficult to be cheerful.
Patient when it was difficult to be patient.
They pushed on when they wanted to stand still.
They kept silent when they wanted to talk.
They were agreeable when they wanted to be disagreeable.