I have fought the good fight, 

I have finished the race, 

I have kept the faith,

Now there is in store for me 

the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4: 7)

The song is ended, but the melody lingers on…,

Grief and love is conjoined, the shadows lengthen and the evening comes,

Short life of Sr. Mariet on this earth has left behind the mark of love on every hearts whom God gave into her life. But the shadow of the evening suddenly came in to her life, and shattered every ones hearts and minds... Sr. Mariet was born on the 24^th March 1965 at Pezar at Mangalore to Mr. Bernard D’Cunha and Mrs. Juvana Pinto, as the 7^th of the twelve siblings. She imbibed the deep faith and Christian Values of her parents and grew up along with her three brothers and eight sisters to be their joy and comfort.  As a young girl, she was intimately acquainted with adversity. One of her brothers, who grew to adulthood, died long before her.   Her parents died when she was a young girl and two of her sisters long before their time and sister - in – law, at child birth. One wondered how could she process it all, how didn’t all these, leave her diminished, cynical or broken.  But Sr. Mariet was a strong woman, and of great faith.  Even in the darkest of times, she trusted in God and felt God’s comforting presence.  Sr. Mariet knew adversity, but adversity did not break her.

After her parent’s death, Mariet was under the care of her paternal aunt, Sr. Jhovana DHS, a Roshini Nilaya sister. Following her aunt’s example, in 1985, Mariet decided to enter in FSM convent here at Nazareth.   After her initial formation, she made her First Profession in 1990 at Bangalore and Final Profession on the 10^th May 1995.  While she was in on-going formation, completed her studies and no sooner, she was appointed as a teacher and then as principal to various schools .She has served the congregation in various missions like Gokarna, Chennai, Tiruchengode, Salem, Assam, Agarthala and Mangalore. In 2018 she was an elected member, First Councillor of the Provincial. Throughout her life, she has been an inspiring person.  She was a teacher par excellence, and a guide, to both her staff and students and foe to none.

 Sr. Mariet was in good health, Very active and vibrant, working night and day as a good steward, foreseeing the things in her entrusted responsibility with a meticulous planning. She has walked miles crossing the barriers especially every nook and corner of Nazareth School will spell her name.

 Sr. Mariet had gone home happily for her home holidays on April 24^th 2022. She had come back again to the School to complete the pending works on April 28^th and returned to her home. She had severe abdominal pain and taken to Father Mullers Hospital in Bajpe on April 30^th at 2 PM .Then She was brought for the Ultra sound Scan to KMC Attavar at 4 pm .They found 3mm Kidney stone in the Ureter and was told that could be cured with the medications. .So she went back to her home .Sr. Marceline spoke to sr. Mariet and she requested her to inform Sr. Miriam on the next day. She said that she feels much better. But very soon her sister Nora called and informed that she is very sick with difficulty in breathing at 7.30 pm. Sisters rushed to the Hospital and saw her in Emergency ward already with the support of Oxygen, Catheter and she was intubated on May 2^nd in view of respiratory distress. She had little fever, breathlessness, decreased in urine output.

From then on her condition was worsening. Sr. Miriam, her Councillors and Sr. Rosary rushed to Mangalore and tried the maximum way possible to bring her into good health. But every day and every hour her reports and results were shocking. Her blood and Urine cultures grew E.coli. Platelet and BP was low. Platelet transfusion was given in view of worsening Thrombocytopenia. She developed Oliguric acute kidney injury, so she underwent dialysis on May 3^rd and 6 dialysis were done in the following days. She developed Ischemic hepatitis (acute Liver injury). Most of her loved ones, family people, her batch mates, teachers, helpers visited her and the Special permission was given to visit other than visiting hours. On 6^th she stopped responding and MRI Scan was done in view of poor Sensorium. But her Sensorium improved and she opened her eyes on the 3^rdday.On which she responded to the question of Sr. Rosary, “Have you had an experience of heaven?” and she nodded her head with a heavenly smile. It was a great miracle and everybody rejoiced over her improvement. This ray of hope moved everyone to experience God’s mercy and love among the nonbelievers of Christ.

ENT gave opinion to go for tracheostomy. She was responding with a smile and her breathing became quite normal so she was extubated on May 11^th at 3pm. Sisters spoke to her and was returning to their Communities happily. But no sooner she had difficulty in breathing and she requested to put her to Ventilator at 10.30 pm. On hearing this sisters rushed to the Hospital and Doctors informed that She had cardiac arrest at 11.30 pm. CPR could not help her She was responding with a smile and her breathing became quite normal and She embraced sister death at 11.56 pm. Her paschal mystery with her Lord is over on earth and embraced her heavenly Father with a new life.

Her untimely goodbye has left us in great shock and inexpressible sorrow.She left us all while in office, as the Principal of Nazareth Public School, Balmatta, Mangalore.God has accomplished his mission in the church through her genuine service.

Religious vocation was the foundation of all that she did.  She loved God and she loved to be an FSM.  She is a person of prayer, a person of God, a determined and kind soul, a self-giving and a generous Spirit above all a loving Sister and Servant.  Thus she kept the flame burning with a zeal, enthusiasm and commitment till the end of her life, as she had at the beginning. A faith filled person, who lived in love of God and others through humble service. We thank Sr. Mariet for being a Sister, a friend, companion, counselor, a mother above all being Christ’s image and reflection to all of us.

 We thank our dear Sr. Reetha Paul for her encouraging words and prayerful support. We thank Sr. Miriam and her counselors Srs. Alphonsa Celine, Regina Mary and Valsa for being one with us sharing our painful moments. We thank her Companions and Sr. Rosary for accompanying at her passing moments. We lovingly thank Fr. Lawrence   OCD her youngest brother, her Aunt Sr. Jhovana and all her family members who were well united in caring and sharing the painful yet graceful moments.

Even though, there is sorrow and sadness we commend her to God and celebrate a life well lived.  We are reminded of the words, from Joni Mitchell’s Song “Big Yellow Taxi” “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know, what you’ve got, till it’s gone…”  We acknowledge her wonderful legacy, and thank the Lord for the many blessings, and the strong faith which He gifted her.   We entrust her warm and gentle soul, to the embrace of God.  Nothing can make up, for the absence of someone, whom we loved.

Dear Sr. Mariet, “your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure.  You are loved beyond words, and missed beyond measure”.   God saw you getting tired, and a cure was not to be.  So He put His arm around you and whispered, “Come to me.”   A golden heart stopped beating, hardworking hands at rest.  God broke our hearts, to prove to us, He only takes the best.

 With deep love and affection,

 Sr. Marceline and Community

Nazareth Convent,