Striking Numbers
India has, right now, the largest number of religious in the world—about 130,610, belonging to 399 religious orders. The largest section, by far, are women religious—about one lakh and two thousand in active orders and about 890 contemplatives. Religious priests number
25,523, belonging to ninety orders, and the 2,031 Brothers belong to seventeen orders.
According to the 2021 CRI Directory, the average age is 47.73.
A large group, most of whom are well educated, and run well-known institutions imparting education, medical care and other services. Most religious congregations are also financially stable and secure.
A strong force—large, trained, disciplined, well accepted by beneficiaries. In fact, the rush to get into Catholic schools and colleges is well known. Our 3400 medical presences offer a huge service to the sick, particularly in rural areas.
Such a body of educated and specially trained women and men certainly makes a difference.
What is the difference we make? Are we making the difference we are meant to? How can we do it better?
That is what this issue looks at.
A Hidden Life
Let me start with what most people know least about—our contemplative religious.
Among our contemplatives are smart, well-educated women who could easily have had a successful career, but chose to follow a Love that fascinated them. I have been impressed by two such young women and several older ones. One, a novice, has a doctorate in astrophysics. The other was student leader in a prestigious college. Both took a vocational decision that shocked family members, companions and well-wishers. Theirs is not a decision we can easily understand. It can seem to be a foolish waste of talent. But a mystic’s heart sees differently from what human calculations show us.
The number of contemplatives in India is not high. Most orders have very few younger members. But, unseen by the world and contributing nothing visible or measurable to humankind, these hidden hearts sustain the world through a life of prayer, universal love and a spiritual quest unmediated by direct ministry.
Mere Social Work or a God-encounter?
Most religious are engaged in visible activities—teaching, medical work, social services, media ministry, pastoral work. The largest number are involved in teaching.
All these settings provide us chances to do good. But, if all we do is just to perform the assigned tasks—teaching some subjects, being a doctor or nurse or social worker, or being engaged in social action and political consciousness-raising—we do not need faith in Jesus or a deep spiritual life or celibacy to do it. Anyone with common sense and a reasonable level of education can do it. No need of vocational discernment, retreats, hours of daily prayer or long years of formation for it.
We are not simply English teachers, or principals, or accountants or nurses or social workers. As Mother Teresa put it, “I come from a happy family. I would not have left it to do social work.” For her, responding to Jesus and meeting Him is what mattered. That is what energized her and kept her radiantly happy. She saw Jesus in the dying destitute person who smelt bad or had maggots in his wounds or was covered with dirt. When our inner eye is open, the world around us looks different. We see people and events through God’s eyes.
Fr Joe Mannath SDB
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