Karnataka   

German award conferred on Sister Willigard

— Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

For selfless service: Stefan Graf, Consul General of Germany in Bangalore, conferring the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on Sister Willigard Dinasevika of the Deenasevanasabha congregation in Bangalore on Saturday in the presence of Archbishop of Bangalore Bernard Moras and Sister Berthalomea, Superior General of the Deenasevanasabha congregation.

BANGALORE: “When I first wanted to bring women infected with HIV/AIDS to the congregation home, many people protested. They said that if you bring them here, we will take them to the forest and burn them.”

As Sister Willigard Dinasevika skimmed over the many troubles she faced in her long life dedicated to those shunned by society, a few words stood out. “Good food and too much love is the medicine for all illness,” she said in broken English about how destitute women and children, infected with HIV/AIDS, are looked after in the Deenasevanasabha congregation.

Sister Willigard was on Saturday conferred the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for “rendering selfless service to the needy in India for more than three decades”. In her acceptance speech, the 76-year-old German born nun said, “Our duty lies in serving people, not in the baptising.”

She spoke of her journey to India and the penniless state she was in when she started her social service activities.

The award was instituted in 1951 by the then German president, Theodor Heuss, and is conferred on Germans and foreigners for achievements in the political, economic, social or intellectual realm. It is Germany’s highest tribute of recognition of outstanding achievements.

The award was conferred by the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bangalore, Stefan Graf, on behalf of the President of Germany, Horst Koehler. Commending Sister Willigard for her dedication, Mr. Graf especially praised her for starting homes for HIV positive children and women.

Archbishop of Bangalore Bernard Moras, who was present, said that such occasions were not just to honour great personalities but also to realise that the only way in which the contribution of these personalities could be recognised was “to walk in their footsteps”.

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