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D. SISTER VINCENT

Achamma was born on July 10, 1924. As most others in the family did , her early
education was in St. Maragret School, Kaipuzha. But unlike others who studied in the
convent school up to grade four and subsequently went off to St. George’s School,
Achamma stayed on in the convent school for a few more years, graduating in the Higher
Malayalam Literature Examination. She went on to St. Mary’s’s High School,
Athirampuzha. There she stayed with her eldest brother and family and pursued
education. She evinced an early interest in fine arts, the only one who inherited the
painting and drawing talent of Abraham. Achamma was a grave girl, with unusually
beautiful curly hair, round face, and sharp features.

Several families approached Abraham with marriage proposals for Achamma. But she
rejected all of them, and persisted in telling her parents that she wanted to join the
Visitation Congregation. Abraham was not averse to the idea, but wanted to be sure that
Achamma really wanted to enter religious life. Therefore he made arrangements with the
Superiors of the sisters in Kaipuzha to admit her into pre-postulancy . As she lived in the
convent, she also studied for her fine-arts diploma, under the tutelage of her father. On
February 15, 1943, she was admitted to the postluancy of the Congregation. It was a
rigurous year of training and formation. On April 26, 1944, her vestition took place.
Achamma’s hair was shorn, her worldly garments put away, and she donned the habit of
the Visitation sisters. She assumed the new name of Sr. Mary Vincent. It was a joyful
day in her life and that of the family. Abraham and Naithy invited all their dear and near
ones to a sumptuous feast, spread in St. Anne’s School, Kottayam. Sr. Vincent reentered
the cloisture for one more year of novitiate. She pronounced her first vows of poverty,
chastity and obedience in 1945. On February 11, 1951 she was admitted to take her
perpetual vows in the congregation.

Sr. Vincent was a determined person.. By sheer persistence, she completed her training as
teacher of arts and crafts. She worked in several schools all over Kottayam. In addition to
her job as teacher, she was given great responsibilities. She was the bursar in the
Boarding at Uzhavoor, where it was her task to feed hundreds of students four times a
day. She was sent to Peermede, where she was in charge of the Boarding run by the
diocese. When a Home for the Aged was founded in Poozhikol, the Bishop selected
Sr.Vincent to run it as the first superior. When things were not going well in the seminary
attached to Sacred Heart Mount, Kottayam, again, the Bishop requested Sr.Vincent to
take charge

In all the responsibilities that she was entrusted with, Sr. Vincent accredited herself
admirably. Therefore in 1988, when her brothers in Canada invited her to visit them in
North America, even though there was a general policy prohibition against such visits in
the Congregation, the Bishop personally intervened, and requested that Sr. Vincent be
allowed to go to America and Europe. Her visit to her people in North America was
mutually beneficial. She lived among her people for a few months, saw their lives at first
hand, exorted them to keep the faith, and prayed with them.

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