Bidding Farewell to Sister Mary Vibha SND
Sister Mary Vibha,SND
Maria Thomas Odalany: Our Lady of the Visitation Province, Bangalore, India
Date and Place of Birth: August 3, 1940; Kadaplamattam, Kerala. India
Date and Place of Profession: January 6, 1969; Jamalpur, Bihar, India
Date and Place of Death and Funeral: February 25, 2024; Notre Dame Convent (ShalomSadan)Vijayanagar, Mysore, Karnataka.
Date and Place of Burial: February 25, 2024; SND Cemetery, Formation House, Hinkal, Mysore, Karnataka.
Sister Mary Vibha (Maria Thomas Odalany) was born as the first child to a very devout Catholiccouple Thomas and AnnammaOdalany on August 03, 1940, in Kadaplamattam, Kerala. She had four brothers as her siblings. In her autobiography, Maria writes that her mother taught her to havea great devotion to Mary and the importance of telling the truth always to avoid unnecessarytroubles. She grew up in a large joined family where she mingled well with her siblings and hercousins as they all lived together in the same house where she learned the art of sharing her lifewith others.
She had nurtured her desire to be a religious Sister as the Carmelite Sisters were her teachers. Fr.Joseph Maliparambil, her Parish Priest supported her missionary desire and encouraged her to jointhe Sisters of Notre Dame. On July 13, 1963, Maria joined the group of 23 girls who opted to bemissionaries to join the Sisters of Notre Dame in Jamalpur. Bihar in North India.
Sister Mary Vibha was a true missionary and a great community builder all her ife. She wasmissioned to St. Joseph’s parish school as soon as she made her First Profession. She loved toteach the poor and the needy children of the parish schools of Jamalpur and Patna. She had aspecial charism in dealing with the young people with her gentleness and soft spoken words. Thelist of her appointments to various institutions as principal, teacher, in leadership roles and pastoralservices to provide skills for the young girls lead to many long years until her health began to fail.
She was affected by the Covid – 19 pandemics which almost claimed her life. She survivedthrough it, but could not regain her health well enough to go on in her active ministry. She hasbeen appointed to Shalom Sadan (Peace House). the infirmary of the Province where she fullyparticipated in the ministry of Prayer and Presence.
Much before the advice of Pope Francis to go to the peripheries, Sister Mary Vibha experiencedwhat it is to be in the periphery. All her active ministry of teaching. pastoral work, leadership roleswere spent in village mission stations with bare minimum facilities. We offer her our gratefulappreciation for her 61 years of life in Notre Dame. May God bless her abundantly and may hergentle soul rest in peace.
