from Sunil Fernandes

Sr Clotilda Margarette (80), Ex Provincial of Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (Karnataka province) passed away on late hours of  Thursday, March 21, 2013 after a brief illness, at their convent in Mysore.

Funeral Mass on Friday, March 22 at 4.00 pm in St Mary’s Convent Chapel, Chamrajpet, Banglaore, followed by burial at Novitiate House, Nirmal Giri, Kengiri, Bangalore.

Sr Clotilda Margaret was born in the year 1933 as the second child of the devotional couple the late Rosario Fernandez & the late Rekel Fernandez of Kota parish (Udupi Taluk)

In the beginning she started her carrier as a teacher in a school at her native place. But God’s wish was different. She accepted God’s wish & decided to become a Nun. So in the year 1960, she joined the Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate order.  In the year 1963 she was ordained as a Nun.

Recognizing her efficiency, capabilities & talents, in the year 1976 their Mother General (Supreme Head of the S.M.M.I order) in France appointed her as Counselor General. From 1976 to 1985 she served as a Counselor in France. During this period of nine years she visited various countries were ever the SMMI sisters are serving.

Before heading to France she had served as Superior as well as Headmistress in Mysore, Chamrajpet, Kunigal, Magge and various places in Karnataka.
 
After coming back from France, in the year 1985 she was conferred as the Provincial of the Karnataka province in India. This was a great honor for her to be the head of S.M.M.I order for the whole of Karnataka province. From 1985 to 1991, for a period of six years as a Provincial of Karnataka she performed her duties and responsibilities excellently.

In the year 1991 when she completed her term as the Provincial of Karnataka, one more task was waiting for her to serve the good news of God to the poor people in the African country of Algeria as a Missionary.  She wanted to stay some more years there to serve the poor, needy Algerians. But in the year 1994 unwillingly she had to come back to India due to the political condition over there.

After coming back from Algeria, she stayed at their convent in Kengeri, India for almost two years to help in the Central Secretariat for the translation work, as she was fluent in several Indian languages as well as the foreign languages such as French & Arabic. 

After that she was sent to Sidhapur (a small village in the southern Indian state of Karnataka) to do the pastoral work and to supervise the construction of the new School Building.

After the completion of School project at Sidhapur, in the year 2000 she was appointed as Superior for the Novices at their Novitiate house “Nirmal Giri” in Kengeri, Bangalore.

Since last one year due to the bad health she was bed ridden and was taken care by the sisters & doctors at their convent in Mysore. As this is the 50th year of her religious life, and as per God’s wish she peacefully bid adieu to the world.