The (Un)told Mission History of the sisters of the Society of Jesus Mary Joseph (JMJ) in India: An Historical Study of Missionary Generations Shifting Between Dutch Legacy and Indian Inculturation (1904 – 1969)
Team
Arputha Lilly Antony (PhD candidate)
Dries Bosschaert (supervisor)
Dries Vanysacker (co-supervisor)
Patricia Santos (co-supervisor)
Project duration
2023-2027
Funding body
Global South
The lived experiences of the Catholic religious missionary women were not systematically documented, and the voices and stories of these women have often gone unheard. This project seeks to redress that situation by retracing the missionary journey of the religious sisters who belonged to the Society of Jesus Mary Joseph (JMJ). Since their arrival in India in 1904 the JMJ missionary sisters have continuously advocated for the advancement of young girls and women through education, health care and self sustainable programs, assisting them in constructing their identities in Andhra Pradesh, India. As with other women in the history of church and theology, their role is, however, often overlooked. This research focusing on the historical identity formation of the JMJ sisters and the centrality of the empowering of women and girls herein will trace (i) the lived experiences of the sisters of Jesus Mary Joseph (JMJ) from Netherlands and Australia who travelled to India in 1904 and 1920, (ii) the native women who joined them as Handmaids of Mary and (iii) the administration shift from Dutch heritage to Indian Inculturation up to the 1960s. Through textual analysis, archival research, and oral history, this project will evaluate, hear from, and report on these missionary women and thus contribute to the ongoing work of the empowerment of women in India. Thus, this project aims to give a voice to religious women by exploring the life experiences of the JMJ missionaries who served in India, learning about their identities, and highlighting their struggles and challenges.
Processes of Agency, Negotiation and Identity Construction: Lived Religion and LGBTQ+ in relation to Catholic Norms and Practices in Europe from Historical, Ethical and Practical Theological Perspectives 