Golden Jubilee:
A Life with Christ
Sister Mary Kristin and Sister Mary Sreeja
with the student performers
Fifty years is a very long time, and to work one job throughout half a century might even sound
quite tiring. Well, it is certainly not to Sister Mary Kristin Battles, SND. Sister Mary Kristin has been
spreading God’s love and kindness to the world for fifty years! Actually, her actual date of Golden
Jubilee will be on August 16, 2017, however, the sisters in Patna, India had provided nice celebration
for her in 11th March 2017, when conducting the In-Service Program there with Sister Mary Sreeja
from March 4th to 13th.
Other than her Golden Jubilee,
Sister Mary Kristin Battles has one
more thing to celebrate. She was
re-elected as the Superior General
of the Congregation not too long
ago. Sister Mary Kristin has served
as Superior General since 2010 and
was chosen to take the responsibility
again last year on October 20, 2016.
Sister Mary Kristin Battles, SND
come from the Rosa Mystica Province
in Thousand Oaks, California. She
holds a bachelor’s degree in English
and a master’s degree in Education/
Administration. Sister Mary Kristin
is also a certified Spiritual Director
and Catechist. She also has many
years of experience in education
and has held different leadership
roles within the California province.
She completed her ninth year as
Provincial Superior and succeeded
Sister Mary Sujita Kallupurakkathu,
6
Notre Dame | April-Juni 2017
SND in 2010. Sister Sujita was
former General Superior who had
been served the Congregation of
the Sisters of Notre Dame of Coesfeld
since 1999.
After visiting Patna, Sister Mary
Kristin and Sister Mary Sreeja went
to Jakarta, Indonesia to manage the
In-Service Program for the Provincial
Leadership from March 18th to
28th. Sister Mary Kristin was
greeted with another celebration
of her 50th Anniversary as Notre
Dame Sister. The ceremony on her
Golden Jubilee was nothing short
of beautiful. First, the celebration
began with a Mass which was led by
Fr. Albertus Nugroho Widiyono, SJ.
This particular liturgy was different
because Father Albertus conducted
the Mass while constantly switching
between two languages: Indonesian
and English, for the native English
speakers who were present. The
Mass was attended by Sister Mary
Kristin herself, Sister Mary Sreeja,
the Sisters and teachers of Notre
Dame School, and some of the
students. The service was made
even more special thanks to the
accompanying performance of Notre
Dame High School’s very own choir.
Following the liturgy was the
reception. The modest celebration
was held in Notre Dame School’s
kindergarten hall and the festivity
was opened with a few words of
welcome from a representative of
the school. There were a handful of
performances by the little kinder-
garten kids that included dancing
and singing while wearing traditional
Indonesian outfits. We were certainly
very happy and proud to show a
few of our country’s many cultures
through our youngsters’ talents