Sister Lucy Kalappuram asked to leave convent today itself; letter sent to mother

WAYANAD: The Franciscan Clarist Congregation has asked Sister Lucy, who had taken part in the protests against rape accused Fr Franko Mulakkal, to leave the convent today itself in a letter sent to her family.

The letter has been sent to Sister Lucy’s mother, asking her to take her daughter from the convent. The church also made it clear that she had relieved all responsibilities as nun in the church.

Earlier this month, Sister Lucy in her fifties, was expelled by her congregation on disciplinary grounds.

On Friday, she had appealed against the decision before the Catholic Church in Rome. Sister Lucy, who now lives in Wayanad district, says that she is being targeted for participating in protests against rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

"I'm very afraid... they are killing me little by little, trying to take away all my happiness… My colleagues in the convent keep smiling, talking among themselves. They have completely isolated me. They don't even ask me to join them to eat or anything. I have come to terms with it, but it's still very hard,” she told a national news channel."

The reasons stated by the Franciscan Clarist Congregation for expelling the nun, as cited in the warning letters issued to her, were dress code violations, buying a car, disobeying the authorities, getting involved in large monetary transactions by publishing a book and bringing out a music CD, not submitting her salary to the convent, and making media appearances since September 20, 2018.

The nun maintained that her possessions - especially the car - shouldn't have been seen as a violation of her sacred vows but as a means to better fulfil her responsibilities. "I have been driving the car only for apostolic work, to fulfil my duties in a better way. In the one year since I bought the car, which was the cheapest available in the market, I have been able to visit hundreds of poor patients and people in their houses, support them, pray for them. When I go to school, I also take underprivileged children in my car and drop them off. I have not done anything wrong. It's the perception of others, of the other nuns, that is a problem," said Sister Lucy, who also teaches mathematics in a neighbourhood school.

The expelled nun believes that the real reason behind her expulsion relates to her opposition to former Jalandhar Bishop Mulakkal, who is accused of raping a nun on 13 occasions between 2014 and 2016. "The congregation targeted me only because I spoke up against Bishop Franco, because I supported the nun who was fighting for justice. Because I stood by her," Sister Lucy told the channel.

Bishop Franco is now out on bail, and the trial of his case is progressing in a Kottayam court.