Sister Mary Rose Bernard, CSC
CO-FOUNDRESS SISTER MARY ROSE BERNARD, CSC (1894-1938)
- Name : Sister Mary Rose Bernard, CSC
- Father’s Name : John J. Gehring
- Mother’s Name : Mary Kolmer Gehring
- Date of Birth : October 26,1894
- Place of Birth : South Band City, Indiana, US.
- Place among the Children : Only daughter
- Enter to the Postulancy : January 3, 1920
- Received religious habit : August 15
- First Profession : 1922
- Perpetual profession : February 17, 1925
- Death : August 16, 1938
After finishing her studies in 1912, Sr. Rose Bernard committed herself to the service of the prisoners of World War 1. When the war was over, entered the Holy Cross Congregation. After her perpetual profession in 1925, she studied Bengali language and cultures, journalism and sacred scripture for two years at Holy Cross Foreign Mission Seminary in Washington D.C as her preparation for the mission. She, along with other Holy Cross Sisters started her journey towards her chosen mission country by ship on October 15, 1927 and arrived in Dhaka on December 17.
The Superior General of Holy Cross Sisters joyfully agreed to accept the great responsibility of opening a new congregation and she appointed Sister Rose Bernard, CSC for this responsibility. The founding period of this new congregation was certainly difficult. Sister Rose Bernard committed whole heartedly being filled with the gifts of Holy Spirit, divine courage and sincerity. She was aware that the existence of the congregation depended on its members’ presence. She protected her daughters from all possible harm.
Sister Rose Bernard was a joyful, quiet, modest, humble and at the same time prudent and courageous person. The foundation of the congregation of SMRA was the fruit of her deep spirituality. She drafted the first constitution for her postulants and novices. She wrote the rules and regulations in ‘Bengali’ (the native language), which was not easy for her as she was a foreigner and she sought the assistant from local scholars. She prepared the liturgical prayers. She was friend-like companion to her formees in their life journey. Her mother-like affection, love and compassion were the roots of her formation work and her personality and ability to inspire have affected the vocation of the sisters.
Sister Rose Bernard had special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The “Magnificat’ was very dear to her. She constructed a Grotto in the Mother House which continues to inspire the Marian devotion of the sisters until now. She would feel joy in participating in the daily Eucharist, receiving sacraments, visiting villagers and teaching catechism.
She was a dramatist, actress, and chanter. She played the piano and taught the sisters religious hymns and she also wrote drama. The play ‘Mariar Joy’ (Victory of Mary) is one of her writings. She started a community library within the short time of her 5 years stint after the foundation of the congregation.
The congregation was founded for nursing care and education. Sister Rose Bernard sent the newly professed sisters at Rawalpindi in Pakistan for nursing training. But they found it very hard because of language barrier, and sister translated the medical books from English into Bengali language and sent to the sisters. Some Sisters were sent to Intaly in India for teachers’ training and higher study. St Mary’s High school at Toomilia became significant for educating Hindu, Muslim and Christian girls every year. Sister Rose Bernard gave importance to cultural heritage of the local people. That is why the women movement that advocated women dignity was her first concern through which she communicated the Good News to lowly people of other faiths in that local area.
Sr. Rose Bernard worked over-time in order in order for the young congregation to grow. As a result, her physical condition started to weaken. An internal brain hemorrhage took her life and she died on August 16, 1938 at the Mitford Hospital, Dhaka and was buried at Toomilia.