We were plunged into mourning this month with the death of one of the world’s most inspiring educationalists, Sister Cyril Mooney, who was a leading light at our organisation for 22 years.
Sister Cyril, passed away in Kolkata on Saturday, June 24, aged 86, and our projects closed early on the day of her funeral, three days later, so that more than 100 staff could attend her funeral in St Thomas Church in Middleton Row, near where Dr Jack, CR’s founder, established his first clinic. She first got involved with Calcutta Rescue in 1996 when she was head of Loreto Day School in Sealdah.
Hugely impressed by our work, which aligned with her own deep commitment to serve the poor, she offered to let it open a health clinic for people living on the streets and slums in the grounds of the school.
This was a brave move, given that it involved allowing the charity to bring patients suffering from TB and numerous other conditions into a school for middle class children.
But she won the backing of parents for the clinic, which operated for many years, and her involvement with us deepened in 2004 when she joined CR’s Governing Council.
She went on to serve as the Secretary for over a decade, during which time, along with Dr. Jack, she oversaw the expansion of our organisation’s operations providing healthcare, education and other support to hundreds of thousands of the city’s most impoverished people.
Sister Cyril was awarded the Padma Shree, one of India’s highest civilian honours, for pioneering important educational initiatives across the country for the urban and rural poor.
In 1999 Ananya Chatterjee, who heads our education team, was invited by Sister Cyril to work as a trainer in the Rainbow Schools project she set up which allows slum children to get an education in schools once normal classes have finished.
Many years later Sister Cyril helped select Ananya to run our two education projects. Ananya said: “Sister Cyril to me means the epitome of ingenuity in the art of teaching. Her death is a great loss to the entire education system. She was such a knowledgeable, humble, vibrant, inspirational pillar.”
Ajit Karar, CR’s HR manager, who knew Sister Cyril for 19 years, said, “When she joined as the secretary of Calcutta Rescue’s Governing Council, she made many vital decisions that helped the organization navigate through difficult times. Her unwavering commitment and hard work will always be remembered.”
Penny Nettelfield, who chairs the Calcutta Rescue’s UK support group and met her a number of times, said: “Sister Cyril was wonderfully cheerful and friendly, a kind and generous-hearted woman. She was strong minded and determined, never afraid to stand up for what she believed.”
Jaydeep Chakraborty, our CEO, said, “The world is a darker place today than it was yesterday. Sister Cyril represented all that is good in human beings. She was kind, compassionate, humourous, and tenacious; she was a problem-solver, a doer and a fighter, especially for the less fortunate. Today, we stand on her shoulders.”
We thank Sister Cyril for her outstanding contribution to Calcutta Rescue and for the profound impact she has had in improving the lives of so many people, young and old.
