Appreciations

Sr. Maude A.C. (Aunty Dorothy to family) who passed away on September 7 at the age of 82 after a brief illness, is a legend of her time. Uniquely irreplaceable, she leaves a void among grieving family and the Apostolic Carmel Order she served, which can never be filled.

Sr. Maude became a beloved aunt just over 19 years ago when I married her nephew, Kendall. We hit it off almost instantly, since she was never a person to adopt a holier than thou attitude, had a great sense of humour, practised what everyone else preached and had an open- minded view on many subjects.

Aunty Dorothy always made people feel better than they were, and had an innate belief in the good of others, even though some were not entirely deserving of her faith in them. It was this belief that helped reform some of the black sheep she dealt with.Having started her service as a novice at the age of 17, she had a single-minded purpose in life -- to love others and be of service to them in whatever capacity she served. Had she lived, she would have celebrated her Diamond Jubilee as a nun in 2007. Sr. Maude had the unique distinction of a record three terms as Mother Provincial of the Apostolic Carmel order. As Principal, teacher and directress of many projects, she travelled the world extensively and this contributed to her very open-minded perspective on life. She was a perfectionist and expected no less, and even till the end, she lived by this axiom.

Aunty Dorothy was able to debunk the generation gap theory, and could fit into the company of toddlers or their grandparents, with equal ease. She had the gift of being able to laugh at herself. I remember a humorous incident, when my niece who was three at the time was heard to say very seriously - “We should get Aunty Dorothy some new clothes, she always wears the same long white dress.” She thought this uproariously funny and had reported it to the sisters back at the convent.

A devout disciple of our Lord and His mother, she exemplified this in her devoted service to the poor, the sick and the marginalized. She was the most humble person I have ever met, even though she held positions of high authority. Her diminutive stature and brisk walk, almost tripping along, were her trademark, and she was a familiar sight in Colpetty and its environs, as she went about her missions of mercy.

To describe her in a sentence, she was the best example of a Christian that I have ever met, and I feel privileged to have known her so well. The sisters of the Apostolic Carmel order in which she served, who also loved her deeply, took loving care of her, meeting her every need, and cared for her tenderly in her brief illness. They will sorely miss her for the person she was to each and every one of them.

On behalf of my family, I wish to say that we are deeply grateful to all the nuns who spared no pains to take care of their beloved Sr. Maude.

Volumes could be written about my much loved aunt, but it won’t be enough to describe who she was and what she was to me and thousands of others whose lives she touched.

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord, and perpetual light shine upon her, for she truly deserves a place in heaven.