St. Dymphna National Institute of Wellness, an initiative of the Catholic Mental Health Ministry (CMHM) under the Office for Healthcare of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), celebrated its third anniversary along with the graduation ceremony of the fourth batch of the Shalom Wellness Programme in Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka state in southern India, on May 24.
Priests, women religious, and lay faithful from different parts of India participated in the celebration.
Recognized as the first inter-congregational wellness initiative for Catholic women religious in India, the institute was established to promote emotional, psychological, spiritual, and social well-being among religious sisters and Church ministers. Over the past three years, the institute has supported thousands of sisters in rediscovering purpose, resilience, and meaning in their mission and ministry.
The institute is led by Sr. Dr. Joan Chunkapura, MMS, a pioneer in holistic healing and wellness ministry recognized by the CBCI. She is supported by an inter-congregational team of qualified religious sisters, including Sr. Biya MMS, Associate Director; Sr. Virginia T. Sangama AC, Programme Director; and Sr. Jasmine ASMI, Coordinator, along with members from several other congregations.
St. Dymphna currently operates centers in Bengaluru; Changanassery and Peerumade in Kerala state, southern India; Kodaikanal, a hill town in Tamil Nadu state in southern India; and Sambalpur in Odisha state in eastern India. The centers offer wellness, accompaniment, leadership formation, counseling, and renewal programs for women religious across the country.
A major highlight of the institute’s outreach is the one-month residential “Shalom Wellness Programme,” which recently completed its fourth batch and has already benefited around 80 sisters from different regions of India. Responding to growing needs, the institute has also introduced wellness programs in several Indian languages, making its services more accessible to women religious from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
In addition to its residential programs, the Dymphna team conducts wellness and formation sessions in religious congregations and formation houses throughout India. Programs for candidates and young religious have also helped many congregations strengthen emotional maturity, leadership skills, interpersonal relationships, and spiritual wellbeing.
“Any religious woman in India can approach Dymphna at any time for renewal, accompaniment, and wellness support in her preferred language,” the organizers said during the celebration.
Since its inception, the institute has focused on holistic wellbeing and spiritual care, strengthening not only individual religious women but also the Catholic institutions and ministries they serve. Through its initiatives, Dymphna has contributed to building healthier, more compassionate, and resilient Church communities.
The institute was established at the request of major superiors to address the growing need for wellness, accompaniment, leadership training, and skill development among women religious, enabling them to serve the Church and society more effectively in today’s changing world.
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