the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines. (NCR, GSR logo/Toni-Ann Ortiz)
It s been almost a year since the Philippine government enforced quarantine restrictions in the Philippines. For some, it was a welcome break from the busyness of their regular lives, but for many consecrated men and women, it was a challenge to be more daring and to allow new and creative expression of their respective charisms amidst the changes in the world due to the pandemic.
The Joint Secretariat of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP) received reports of the COVID-response from the different members. Common themes emerged. First was the desire to provide for the immediate needs of street-dwellers, those from the informal economy, and other daily wage earners. Individual institutes often had their own programs, depending on the availability of both human and material resources.
Sr. Flavia Aranha, left, and Sr. Scholastica Panthaladikel, members of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master, are engaged in holistic healing in Mapusa, Goa, in western India. (Lissy Maruthanakuzhy)
Panaji, India The Pious Disciples of the Divine Master began holistic health ministry in India some 20 years ago as another branch of their charism, liturgical apostolate.
The mission was introduced by Sr. Scholastica Panthaladikel, a former Indian provincial who now manages a health center in Mapusa, Goa, in western India. According to the 74-year-old nun, the holistic health program promotes the spirituality of Jesus the master, the way, the truth and the life the principal devotion in their congregation.