Sr. Mary Andrew Sultana Memorial, Sacred Heart High School, Civil Lines Jhang, Jhang Sadar (2026)

16/02/2024

Dominican sisters arrived in Sri Lanka on October 7th 1954. Way back in 1889 it was on October 7th that the congregation was founded and it is the day the church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Rosary, a very significant day it was.

Cardinal Thomas Cooray welcomed very warmly the four sisters,

Sr. MARY ANDREW SULTANA, Clelia Blye, Therese Fenech and Dosithee Fero.

Their mission in Sri Lanka started at Thimbirigasyaya, where they took charge of the creche which was run by the voluntary Inter Community Service. Fr. Hyacinth Frendo, a Dominican who was at the Thimbirigasyaya parish, was a tower of strength to the nuns during their period of acclimatization.

The first convent in Sri Lanka was named after St. Martin de Porres. That was on July 22nd 1955. God blessed the nuns with the local vocation on the very first year of their apostolate here. Cilinic Nanayakkara took on the name Hyacinth at the robing ceremony was their first vocation. God's way of working is inexplicable.

15/01/2024

Appreciation - Sr Andrew Sultana, OP

Sr Liliana Borg, OP, writes:

Meeting the Lord in an eternal embrace.

"The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want"

Psalm 23 was the favourite prayer of Sr Andrew Sultana OP. The Lord was for her the true Shepherd whom she trusted fully. She was attentive to His voice and followed Him faithfully and generously throughout her life. In joys and sorrows, in bright and dark days she believed firmly that He was at her side guiding and helping her and with great dedication she followed Him faithfully. Nothing and no one came between her and her Divine Spouse. She was the wise virgin always alert and attentive to the gentle voice of the One she loved and served. Thus prepared, on January 16, at 11.45 p.m. she received the final invitation: "Come faithful servant, receive the reward for your good life".

Sr Andrew, the pioneer and founder of our mission in Pakistan, dedicated her life in serving humanity in the field of education for 43 years in Jhang. She had at heart the integral formation of her students and struggled to instil in them the moral values of honesty, sincerity, tolerance, forgiveness and many other moral and spiritual values. She constantly advised the sisters, staff and students to keep to the presence of God always and everywhere and to keep their conscience clear.

"Not for school but for life we learn" was the motto of Sacred Heart High School and Sr Andrew worked hard not only to impart academic knowledge on her students but to give them a character formation based on spiritual and moral values on which they can build their life. This she did not by mere words but through her own exemplary life.

"Mother Andrew", as everyone respectfully used to call her, was in all respects, a mother to all: sisters, staff, students, parents, Christians and Muslims and all those who had the privilege to know her. As one Sacredian (ex-student) pointed out: "Whatever I am today it is because of her grooming and character building. A mother grooms and nurtures few of her own children whereas she brought up and groomed almost three generations of this area (Jhang)". And this has been expressed by many Sacredians and parents.

Sr Andrew treated everyone justly and helped everyone who was in need irrespective of one's religion or social status. Thus harmony, unity and respect for one another was the environment of the school and these are the qualities that all Sacredians will carry with them.

The news of the demise of Sr Andrew spread through the district like wild fire and government representatives, distinguished persons, staff, parents and Sacredians from all walks of life came to pay their last tribute to their dear Mother Andrew. Her death filled our hearts with sorrow but her memory will never fade.

Our Muslim brethren joined the Christian Community for the funeral liturgy and we all together prayed that God may grant eternal rest to our dear Sr Andrew and thanked and praised God for the gift of Mother Andrew to the Dominican Sisters, Sacredians, residents of Jhang and all those who knew her.

Sr Andrew spent her life among the students of Sacred Heart High School and were privileged to have her buried close to the convent within easy reach of all those whom she loved and served.

May she rest in peace and may the light she enkindled in the hearts of all of us keep on burning and may it be passed on to others.