Sister Cyril

An era will end along with the year this December 31 when the much-loved and revered Sister Cyril bids farewell to Loreto Day School, Sealdah, after a 32-year career marked by exceptional leadership, innovation and social work.

Google “sister c” and the search engine suggests her name second after “sister cities”. Look up Facebook and you find her being mentioned in scores of posts. Talk to those who have known her closely and they exclaim “legend”.

That’s the legacy of the 75-year-old Irish-born principal, who many might remember as the familiar figure riding a scooter through crowded streets dressed in her nun’s habit. Age has forced Sister Cyril to opt for a car, but her aura hasn’t dimmed.

“She taught us that compassion is as important a subject as history, geography or math,” said former student Sanghita Mondal, who has been working with Sister Cyril since 1991.

Born Mary Cyril Mooney on July 21, 1936, Loreto Sealdah’s figurehead for over three decades came to Calcutta in October 1956 as a teacher at Loreto Convent in Entally. In June 1957, she left for Lucknow and spent time in Delhi and Shimla before returning in 1973 as vice-principal of Loreto House.

Sister Cyril became principal of Loreto Day School, Sealdah, on January 1, 1979, and has since been a source of inspiration for everyone whose life she has touched in some way or the other. “She has always been a leader. It is so easy to follow her,” said Sanghita, from the Class of 1989.

Of the many projects Sister Cyril started — she was awarded the Padma Shri in 2007 — Rainbow is among those closest to her heart. Rainbow has helped educate hundreds of street children since 1983.

Theresa Mendes, who has been working with her since 1987, recounted: “She, like Mother Teresa, has always worked for the uplift of the destitute. Mother Teresa had thought very highly of her. Once I went to hand a cheque to Mother Teresa that had come to Sister Cyril by mistake. She told me that Sister Cyril was doing God’s work.”

Student Mandavi Surya Ghose, from the Class of 2007, said Sister Cyril gave her more than an education. She opened a window to another world.

“She involved us all in the Rainbow project. We would go to the slums and convince parents to send their children to school. The experience trained us to be human beings in the true sense of the word,” recalled the MSc student.