2. Growing Into a Young Woman

1. The Call to Religious Life

During my adolescence, the Catechist Sisters of St. Ann in Reddipalem played a defining role in my spiritual awakening. When I entered eighth grade, the congregation underwent a historic transition: it became officially indigenous, no longer under Italian administration, and Sr. Enriquetta was appointed the first Indian Mother General. With the encouragement of the Italian parish priest, Fr. Mariani, the sisters nurtured a strong vocation culture among young girls. They instilled in us the belief that the surest and simplest way to reach heaven was through religious life. Innocent, impressionable, and filled with fervent faith, we embraced this message wholeheartedly.

Bala, circa 15 years old

Of the sixteen girls who completed high school in my class, fourteen eventually joined the congregation. Ten entered after ninth grade, and four after tenth grade—I was among the latter. Yet my decision was far from easy. My father, my brother-in-law, my uncle priest Fr. Anandam, and the new parish priest, Fr. Raj, all opposed my entering the convent. They wanted me to continue my studies, fearing I was too young to make such a permanent choice. But deep within, I felt an unmistakable call.

At home, another kind of pressure strengthened my resolve. My grandfather repeatedly spoke of marrying me to my cousin Marreddy. I pleaded with my mother, insisting, “I do not want to marry him—or anyone.” This fear of an imposed marriage, coupled with a profound desire to follow St. Thérèse of Lisieux in simplicity and love, pushed me firmly toward religious life.

With the courage of youth and faith, I offered myself to God and to the congregation.

2. Aspirant Life (1957)

In 1957, at the age of sixteen, I entered the novitiate of the Catechist Sisters of St. Ann as an Aspirant. My introduction to religious discipline came quickly. One day, while drawing water outside the novitiate, I spoke to my brother for barely a minute. Immediately I was corrected: “You must not talk to outsiders.” It was a startling lesson in the strictness of the life I had chosen—one marked by obedience, separation from family, and complete dedication to the community.

Cousin and Bala—aspirants

Within just a month or two, I was sent with another aspirant to St. Anthony’s Convent in Hyderabad, an English-medium school run by the sisters. I was only sixteen, fresh from secondary school, yet entrusted with teaching kindergarten full-time. Sr. Concettina cared for me tenderly, guiding me as I handled a class of sixty lively children aged three to five. To my surprise, I taught well and discovered a natural gift for instruction.

Life was simple but not without its moments of mischief. Once, driven by hunger, my companion and I secretly took candy from the kitchen.

After five months in Hyderabad, we returned to Reddipalem for a period of intense spiritual preparation before formally entering the novitiate. Although I still did not fully grasp what religious life truly entailed, my desire to pursue it remained unwavering.

3. Novice Life (1958–1960)

On January 6, 1958, I received the religious habit and veil, officially becoming a Novice. My new name was Sister Angel Mary Anandam— “Angel” in honor of Fr. Angelo Mariani and “Anandam” in tribute to my uncle priest. Yet in practice, no one called me Anandam; I went simply by “Sister Angel.” I clearly remember my father’s tears that day. “Now my daughter is in prison,” he lamented softly. His grief pierced me, but he accepted my vocation with resignation.

Front row, center: Sister Angel's father
Second row, from right: Sister Angel—cousin sisters

Novice life was challenging, transformative, and deeply formative. Our novice mistress, Sr. Elizabeth, was strict but fair. She trained us rigorously in humility, simplicity, honesty, obedience, silence, and discipline. I learned to pray and work (“Ora et Labora”), to accept corrections and punishments without complaint, and to perform every task with goodwill. As sacristan, I found joy in preparing the chapel, though I also endured periods of harder assignments, such as cleaning the toilets and bathrooms—a task that often brought me to tears. Eventually, when elderly Italian priest Fr. Mazzola missed my presence in the sacristy, he asked that I be reassigned there.

Obedience was tested in subtle ways. One day, Sr. Elizabeth asked me to practice silence—not for an hour or a day, but for three full months. When she judged that I had mastered silence, she told me to practice smiling. That instruction, oddly enough, shaped my entire life; the habit of smiling became one of my lasting gifts.

During the novitiate, I also learned music: Gregorian chant, Latin hymns of Masses, feasts, Holy Week, and musical notation reading. I often stood beside Sr. Elizabeth turning pages as she played the organ, and I even taught myself bits of piano.

4. Teaching as a Novice and the Path to Hindi Pandit

Even while living the strict discipline of a novice, I was assigned full-time teaching responsibilities. I taught Grade 2 and was also encouraged to pursue formal studies in Hindi. With no classes, tutors, or instruction, I was simply handed a set of books and told to prepare for the Preveshika exam in six months. I studied on my own—and passed. Every six months thereafter, I repeated the process, completing three levels of Hindi in just a year and a half instead of three years.

Fr. Anandam—Sister Angel—cousin

Recognizing my emerging talent, high school headmistress Sr. Consolathina assigned me to teach Hindi to students in Grades 7 through 10. Some of my Grade 10 students had been my own classmates who had failed twice before. I taught entirely in Hindi, and in the government exams that year, every one of my students passed—a remarkable 100% success rate that astonished the school and strengthened my confidence as a teacher.

Among my students was my younger brother, Lourdhu Marreddy, then in Grade 7. These were also years of cherished friendship. Sr. Bethina, an intelligent and affectionate companion, became especially dear to me, though the novice mistress discouraged close attachments.

Eventually, I completed the full Hindi Visharada Courses and started the first stage of Hindi Pandit course, equivalent to a master’s degree—covering Hindi literature, Sanskrit, linguistics, and pedagogy—which I completed after the noviciate.

I accomplished all this while living a life of prayer, teaching full-time, carrying out sacristy duties, and adhering to the rigorous norms of the novitiate.

5. First Profession (January 6, 1960)

After two intense years of formation, I professed my first vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience on January 6, 1960. Our entire batch took vows together, marking the end of our novitiate and the beginning of full consecrated life. By this time, Sr. Elizabeth had softened toward me, showing appreciation for my sincerity and abilities. Though still young and not fully mature in meditation, I felt deeply at peace and grateful for the spiritual grounding I had received.

6. Teacher and Assistant Headmistress (1961–1964)

In 1961, I was transferred to Ramnagar School, where I flourished as both teacher and administrator. I formed warm relationships with my students and was entrusted by headmistress Sr. Ernestina to serve as assistant headmistress while continuing to teach full-time. Among my students was Anasuya, who would remain a lifelong friend. I also formed a meaningful friendship with Ratnam, a Brahmin lay teacher of great intelligence and kindness, though time eventually separated us.

By 1964, I had completed all remaining stages of the Hindi Pandit program and stood as a fully qualified Hindi scholar and an experienced teacher. My early twenties were marked by dedication, discipline, spiritual growth, and the discovery of my lifelong vocation for teaching.