Of the many blessings the merciful Lord has bestowed upon me, “Mary Nathan” is an exceptional blessing.

Through marriage to her eldest son, Bruno, I received her as my second Mother. I am honored and proud to have had her as an integral part of my life. In the kaleidoscope of life, she taught me resilience in all kinds of adversities. She further enhanced the virtues of patience, kindness and generosity in me.

That a large and loving family is truly a blessing became clearer to me each day as I grew into the family. She loved me more than I understood her. The grit and determination to hold the family together was ingrained in me by watching her.

Being her first daughter-in-law, I learned from her the nuances of dealing with challenges as the family grew. I addressed her as “Athey”, in Tamil tradition. My Athey taught me to how to prepare a meal not just for our family of 10 but at times for a larger gathering at short notice. We would go together to shop for groceries at Dadar Market, where she taught me the importance of economizing and budgeting. Her bargaining skills intrigued me.

Through her strong devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, her many novenas to our Lady of Perpetual Succor; and by partaking in the First Friday and First Saturday Eucharistic celebrations, she ensured the continuous flow of Divine Mercy on all her family and posterity.

My Athey’s accomplishments are many, if listed could make volumes. We love her fondly and bid her adieu.

I'm Mary's daughter Scholastica. Memories I have of my mother:

My parents were very  different and special, not only to us, but also to the people in our community. Father Sopena, a Jesuit priest from Holy Family Parish had great admiration for my parents.  He would often visit us and chat with my parents to understand how they were managing their large  family of 8 kids  with very limited resources. I remember on one occasion , during the Holy Week , father came unannounced and washed the feet of mom and dad and blessed them.  In an another instance, the Arch Bishop Rev. Arokiaswamy , who knew my parents from their younger days , knew of their struggles and commitment to their family, as also how successfully they educated all the kids,  would narrate their story during his sermons at Mass. He would highlight their struggles , and their faith in Jesus Christ and His Mother Mary, and invoke their help in times of difficulties . The Bishop would impress upon how mom and dad who pray the rosary together with the children , and make sure the children attended daily mass every morning. They led us by action and example.