Bangladesh: Ageing RNDM Sisters Find Care and Companionship at Home of Wisdom

At 88, Sr. Mary Gabriella Reberio has only one prayer for her final years: "I wish to die in peace, not to suffer a painful death."

After decades spent teaching children, leading catechism classes, and promoting adult education, the member of the Congregation of Our Lady of the Missions (RNDM) now lives at Progaloy ("Home of Wisdom"), a residence in Dhaka where retired sisters spend their final years surrounded by care, prayer, and companionship.

"I served people all my life," she told RVA News. "Now the younger sisters of our congregation are caring for us. Whatever we need, they provide. We are grateful."

Though her eyesight is failing, Reberio says she feels secure in a community that has become both home and family.

As the world marks the International Day of Older Persons on October 1, the experiences of the elderly sisters at Progaloy offer a different perspective on aging in Bangladesh, where many older people face loneliness, neglect, or economic hardship.

Among the residents is Sr. Mary Carmel Reberio, a former teacher and provincial superior who has been living at the residence since 2024. Reflecting on the growing distance between generations, she expressed concern that many elderly people long for companionship more than material support.

"The elderly crave human company," she said. "I want today's children, adolescents and young people not to drift away from their grandparents."

Recalling a cherished memory, she described how her nieces would paint her mother's nails and spend time talking with her. "My mother was so happy," she said, underscoring the importance of simple gestures of affection.

The sisters' reflections resonate with wider concerns about the treatment of older persons in Bangladeshi society, where demographic changes and migration often leave elderly people isolated from younger family members.

For Sr. Mary Koruna Costa, a trained nurse who dedicated much of her life to helping people recovering from drug addiction, old age has become a time of gratitude rather than regret. Currently recovering from dengue fever, she believes her ministry was less about preaching and more about witnessing Christian values through daily life.

"I would not speak about Jesus directly," she explained. "But people of other faiths could tell I was a Christian by the way I lived and worked."

She praised the care available at the residence, where doctors visit regularly and sisters requiring specialized treatment are taken to hospitals in Dhaka.

Another resident, Sr. Mary Edward D'Cruz, who worked as a journalist at the Christian Communication Centre before serving in parish ministries, said she feels deeply respected in the community.

"I see many elderly women who do not receive proper care and are sometimes mistreated," she said. "Here, we are looked after with dignity."

Looking back on her vocation, she expressed no doubts. "I never feel that becoming a sister was a mistake. It was the best decision of my life."

For Sr. Mary Joan Gomes, 80, Progaloy represents the fruit of years of dedication and sacrifice.

"We sowed the seeds in the past, and now we are reaping the harvest," she said. "This place is a blessing for elderly sisters."

Beyond healthcare, residents receive emotional and spiritual support. A priest celebrates Mass at the residence three times a week, helping sustain a rhythm of prayer that has shaped the sisters' lives for decades.

According to Sr. Happy, the medical coordinator at Progaloy, the RNDM congregation in Bangladesh has 125 sisters, including 22 aged over 70 and two over 90. Fourteen retired sisters currently live at the residence.

"We call them ' Proga,' meaning wisdom," she said. "They gave their lives in service to the community. Now it is our responsibility to care for them."

Three younger sisters and six lay caregivers attend to residents' daily needs, from dietary requirements to medical treatment and emotional support. Close attention is paid to individual concerns, including mobility issues, special diets, and chronic illnesses.

For Sr. Happy, caring for elderly sisters is not simply a practical responsibility but a continuation of the congregation's mission.

"These sisters spent their lives serving others and enduring many hardships," she said. "We want them to experience joy, dignity, and love in their final years."

On the International Day of Older Persons, the sisters of Progaloy will be honored by their congregation. Yet their stories offer a broader message beyond the convent walls: in a society where many elderly people struggle with isolation, the measure of a community is often found in how it treats those who once spent their lives serving others.