Sr. Anie Deepa

Sr. Anie Deepa is a member of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) and worked as a teacher at different schools in India. She gained experience of leadership while being a missionary in one of the remotest villages of Gujarat, India. Most of the people she met there were non-Christians and also victims of poverty, persecution and discrimination. By giving classes to mostly women, she was able to reinforce a sense of dignity and to encourage ways by which these people can help themselves later on. She wishes to deepen her knowledge in interreligious studies so that upon returning to India she can continue to help people to accept differences by overcoming them through relationships converging toward harmony in a multi-religious and cultural country.

Sr. Anie Deepa is a doctoral student of Interreligious Studies at the Pontifical University of Angelicum, Rome. After completing her religious formation, she was sent for higher studies in philosophy and theology and graduated in both meritoriously. She also received a Master’s Degree in English Literature. After her studies she began working as a zealous missionary among the Hindu people in the state of Gujrat. By seeing her special quality to engage in dialogue with others, even in difficult situations, her superior asked her to apply for the Russel Berrie Fellowship to study more about Inter Religious Dialogue. With the help of this Fellowship she attained her licentiate in ecumenism and inter-religious studies at Angelicum. She also had an opportunity to visit the Holy Land and learned more about Judaism through this Fellowhsip. Quoting Pope Francis, “The Catholic Church is enriched when she receives the values of Judaism” (Evangelii Gaudium 249).

Now Sr. Anie Deepa is completing  her doctoral programme in Inter Religious Studies to make her well prepared for her future ministry. She will be appointed to teach about religions in the Theology Center for Junior sisters in  Kerala and North India. She will be also appointed to conduct programmes for the youth and adults from different religions along with their coordinators for IRD. This will create a better understanding about other faiths and promote good relationships and cooperation among people of different faiths.

Educational background includes: Licentiate in Biblical Theology, Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Rome, Italy, 2015; Master of Arts in English Language and Literature, Calicut University, Kerala, India 2012; Baccalaureate in Theology, Kristu Jyoti College, Bangalore, India, 2008; Baccalaureate in Philosophy, Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram Pontifical Athenaeum, Bangalore, India, 2002