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India’s ‘YouTube Sister’ reaches out to young, old during pandemic

Sister Ruby says the lockdown gave her an opportunity to “sit with Jesus for long hours, listen to him and talk to him as a friend"

For Sister Sunitha Ruby, a nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic has proved a blessing in disguise.

“Everything had come to a standstill. So, instead of putting a full stop, I wanted to continue my ministry,” recalls the member of the Congregation of Carmelite Religious, who teaches catechism and also counsels youth in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

So, she took to YouTube to remain in touch with her young friends and others, who now call her “YouTube Sister.”



The Indian government imposed the lockdown first on March 24, 2020, and it lasted several months with gradual relaxation.

In April 2021, several states, including Kerala, reimposed the lockdown after they were severely hit by the COVID-19 second wave.

Ruby says the lockdown gave her an opportunity to “sit with Jesus for long hours, listen to him and talk to him as a friend. That energized me to seek new ways to reach out to my people.”

Until the lockdown, Ruby’s service was limited mostly to the Latin Archdiocese of Trivandrum where she worked as a teacher, social worker, motivational speaker and retreat preacher.

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(Trivandrum is the Anglicized name of the city’s ancient name, Thiruvananthapuram. The city is some 1,765 miles south of New Delhi, the national capital.)

She also serves as a facilitator (animator) of the Kerala unit of Jesus Youth, a Vatican-approved international Catholic movement.

Ruby says prayers and Bible reading during the lockdown emboldened her to do something more for her people.

The article originally appeared on the website of the Global Sisters Report. Read the full story in Matters India

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