Sister Cyril Mooney – Principal Loreto Day School, Sealdah.

Sr. Cyril first came to India in 1956 to teach in the elite, English language Loreto schools begun during colonial days. Over the years Sr. Cyril has transformed the lives of thousands of children across the city of Calcutta.

In recognition of her work, Sr. Cyril has received awards including recognition by UNESCO (1994) and the International Christian Stewardship Award in 2002 given by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The session was opened by Megha who laid down the objective of Peace Works and how reaching out to schools-teachers and students was extremely important, in order to make a difference. Thereafter, the floor was left open to Sister Cyril who discussed in lucid language what Loreto was doing and how other people could also participate in making a difference in society through education. Sister Cyril is one of the most revered academicians in Kolkata.

Sister Cyril made a very interesting point stating that in most schools education is a competitive field where students are pitted against
each other. A way of stopping the same was through the grade system and also by acknowledging the improvement in students’ results. In this way, they wouldn’t be aiming for each others’ scores but for a certain benchmark. It was important to create for the students a holistic growing experience, wherein they not only get an intellectual exchange of ideas but also learn to accommodate people in their lives. This would only be possible by getting out of their comfort zone thereby enabling them to stop to think of their actions, its effect on others.
She realized that empty words have no value and therefore started many projects catering towards different groups of society in order to spread ‘compassion’ and impart education-basic, advanced or vocational so that there exists no class difference and everyone is able to grow in their own surroundings with a pride for themselves and in the work that they do.

She believed that ‘peace’ and ‘goodness’ are qualities that are present but need to be tapped into and this could be spread all around only through ‘communication’. This would help encourage people to take a step forward and look beyond that which they have with the hope of creating a better tomorrow.

One of the many projects that Sister Cyril has set up is The Rainbow Project – under this project about 800 children having been taken off the streets and provided with basic education. A very important aspect of this project is that strategically brings the priviledged and the not so priviledged children together. Thereby fostering an environment where understanding ‘compassion’ becomes an hands on experience.

This belief in ‘equality’ as laid down in the Constitution of India is practiced in the day-to-day affairs of Loreto and her advice to all teachers present was to ensure that this was carried out by them on a day-to day basis.

A point of concern that most mainstrem schools representatives raised was that of parental resistance against the bringing together of children from hugely di?verse socio economic backgrounds under the same roof.
An issue of very large proportions – Sister Cyril advised the teachers and heads of schools that the only way to tackle that issue was to reason with the parents and show them the positive outcomes of the two worlds coming together.

Sister Cyril’s words were able to touch the cords of the hearts of the teachers, who were able to realize that whichever position they were at- principal, teacher or volunteer, if they made the effort, many lives could be changed and they would be able to make a difference in society.

Report by Sharmila Nair