By Fr Adrian Fernandes
A Goan member of a Catholic religious congregation, Sr. Lucy Britto, returned to India this week after serving in the Archives Department of the Secretariat of State, Vatican City (Holy See), for around 15 years. She is the first Indian nun to have the opportunity of serving the Vatican department and for such a lengthy tenure.
The Secretariat of State caters to the diplomatic and political functions of the Holy See and deals with the day-to-day correspondence of the Pope who is accepted as the spiritual head of the Catholic Church.
The septuagenarian nun, born on 6 July 1947, is a member of the religious congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Saints Bartolomea Capitanio and Vincenzia Gerosa (SCCG), also known as the Sisters of Maria Bambina.
Earlier this month, while addressing a Konkani-speaking gathering of laity, sisters, brothers and priests at the Casa Geral da Companhia de Jesus (the Generalate of the ‘Society of Jesus’ or the ‘Jesuits’) at Rome, Italy, she expressed her gratitude and said, “Each day, quietly and humbly working in the papal and Vatican State premises was a God-given opportunity to me to serve my holy mother, the Church.” Catholics acknowledge the Church as a mother.
Serving in the Vatican Secretariat since July 1, 2004, Sr Lucy acknowledged the team work of personnel from different walks of life and nationalities. Known for her simplicity, systematized approach and disciplined lifestyle, she never took an afternoon nap or procrastinated what could be completed at the earliest.
The tedious task of attending to the hundreds of daily correspondences addressed to the Pope required the commitment of being disciplined and focused all through the year. And the sea of the daily mail was simply so remarkably diverse – from children’s letters and drawings, to diplomatic documents, from simple people sharing day-to-day experiences and joys, to complaints about the Church and of God as well, from requests for prayers, to invitations to visit one’s hometowns and countries.
She valued the guidance Pope Benedict imparted to her department - that though the letters received may be in hundreds, yet every letter ought to be respected, because behind
