Robancy A. Helen

Robancy A. Helen is from Tamil Nadu, South India, and is a member of the Idente Missionaries (Religious Institute of Christ the Redeemer). With an academic background in English, social work and theology, she has written about and has actively been engaged in addressing Dalit and women's issues. Recently, she served for five years as the program coordinator in the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India's Office for Scheduled Castes/Backward Classes. She holds a doctoral degree in English Literature and trains Catholic youth and children in leadership and social issues.

By this Author

A stained glass window at St. Henry Catholic Church in St. Henry, Ohio, depicts Christ as the good Samaritan. (Wikimedia Commons/Nheyob)

Good Samaritans are everywhere today

We understand God's love better in our time because of the many good Samaritans around us. It is in helping the needy, poor and marginalized that we can lead a holy life, imitating the acts of Jesus' love.

A statue of Mother Mary (Unsplash/Gianna B)

The woman behind all my success and happiness

Sharing in Mary's motherhood makes me happy. I never begin my day without speaking to her. Even in utter loneliness and pain, I experience her comfort and love.

A beautifully adorned cemetery in Konankuppam village, Kallakurichi district, Tamil Nadu state, India (Robancy A. Helen)

All Souls' Day is a day of hope for our final destination

All Souls' Day is observed Nov. 2. We believe we will all return to God and be judged according to our deeds. Death becomes meaningful when anchored in the hope of resurrection. Jesus is our way to reach our destination.

Women in Thane, India, carry water to their houses May 30, 2019. (CNS/Reuters/Francis Mascarenhas)

Women are co-creators called to walk in faith

From the beginning, God has seen women as co-creators. And if we are truly driven by our belief in Jesus, we cannot remain silent about the status of women in society, or the practices that suppress and dehumanize women.

St. Augustine and St. Monica, his mother, by Gioacchino Assereto (1600-1649)

Augustine of Hippo: Transformed from sin to a life of virtue

A love for reading about the saints led to an appreciation that St. Augustine's life provides a clear example of how God the Father is kind and gentle. 

Religious communities gather for Mass on the Day of Consecrated Life at Our Lady the Healer Church in Karumandapam, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, south India. The words written on the wall above the crucifix translate to "I am for you." (Courtesy of Robancy Helen)

Consecrated life is sacrificial sharing of spiritual motherhood

Sometimes we wonder if it is worth living religious life. For those who feel religious life is a burden, recollect the moments when you experienced love and happiness from God. Think of people as our co-pilgrims in mission.

"Doubting Thomas" by Nicolaus Knüpfer (Dutch, 1603-1655) (Artvee)

May St. Thomas teach us to learn from our doubt

Human beings tend to doubt everything even when they believe in God. Sometimes, our doubts and agnostic beliefs help us trust God and God's work in our lives. 

"Saints Peter and Paul in a vestibule," an etching by Rombout Eynhoudts after Peter Paul Rubens, circa 1630-80 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Sts. Peter and Paul, the great pillars of the church

The Catholic Church teaches us that Sts. Peter and Paul are the two key pillars of the church, and we celebrate their feast on June 29. The lives of these two pillars of the church teach me to carry my cross for Jesus.

The newly opened breastfeeding room at Our Lady of Periyanayagi Shrine in Konankuppam, Kallakurichi district, Tamil Nadu, India (Donald Reegan)

Our Lady of Periyanayagi's new breastfeeding room shelters mothers and babies

We need to create a mother-friendly and child-friendly environment because the church should be a place where people come to find solace and peace for all their problems. It should be a "mother's house" for all people. 

Sister uses music in pastoral care for the needy and the dying

I am so grateful for Sister Bridget's friendship and pray that God continues to bless all these women and men of God who wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to the service of others.

Despite hardships, Jebamalai Mary helps empower other rural women in India

It is a hardcore reality in India that most rural women face a lot of challenges. Jebamalai Mary is a single mother who shows that such oppressed women can rise up and prove their worth, dignity and respect.

Female fish vendors in India face numerous challenges as they work to support themselves and their families. (Wikimedia/Creative Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0/Jorge Royan)

Women everywhere live out mission of caring for others

Womanhood is a gift to humanity. Women of the world give life to others with love, sacrifice and commitment, no matter where they live and what they do. They are an embodiment of God's love for others.

"Jesus and Saint Veronica," attributed to Hieronyous Francken III (Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Lent: A season to transform in love and fraternity

Christianity, though born out of bloodshed and pain, embraces peace and fraternity, hope and harmony. It shows concern for others, reaches out to the needy. 

Youth from Our Lady of the Healer Church, in Karumandapam, after Mass (Robancy A. Helen)

Empowerment toward change, a journey with youth in India

In the St. Alphonsa youth group for young women at our parish in Karumandapam, I serve as animator, trying to guide them and be a friend and empowering them to be the "now of God," as Pope Francis called young people at World Youth Day last year.

God's unique, mysterious call to serve the Dalits

Each of us is responsible for fulfilling God's unique plan for us. As years went by and I tried to discern God's plan, I had the opportunity to work for the so-called "untouchables" of Indian society, the Dalits.