Barbara Pachetti:
“Twenty hours of travel were quickly erased by the abundance of generosity received at Sophia College. With our hearts filled with gratitude and our stomachs full with a delicious home-cooked dinner we are wrapping day one with an early bedtime.”

John O’Hagan: 
“The hospitality shown to us by the staff and sisters of Sophia College has been amazing. The faculty in most schools here (Sophia College included) have class on Saturday. So their staff worked then came and picked us up from the airport- beautiful & kind. This evening’s dinner was lovely, straightforward, and sumptuous! Dessert was little baby bananas and a chocolate sort of dish. All in all, it was a brilliant day.”

Barbara Pachetti: 
“We started the day early and made our way to the Gorai Pagoda where we learned the technique of vipassana meditation. On our way to the Pagoda, we witnessed a hazy sunrise over Mumbai. The site of the Pagoda was inaugurated in 2009. We took a ferry and motorized rickshaws to reach the site.

This evening the girls connected with some boarders their age. They clicked immediately!

John O’Hagan:
“It's really beautiful to see that future leaders are being educated on both sides of the world by Sacred Heart. Both sets of students are poised and confident. It is a beautiful thing to see.

The pagoda visit today was inspiring. We took part in an ancient Vipassana Meditation. The quotes throughout the site made for deep reflection!”

John O'Hagan:
“Day was an amazing day spent at Sophia School/ College. We went through the entire school from the 2-year-old classroom to the 21-year-olds. We saw science, dance, and art. We even participated in an on-campus "TV Interview"!

As a school, I know how proud we all are of our students, but seeing them interact with the many different constituents here is truly beautiful, and to use a line of Joe's, they truly do put the Heart in Sacred Heart. We could easily have spent one hour with each class/teacher we met and I think they wanted us to spend an hour with them! Our students were so gracious.” 

Michael Chung: 
“Today we visited all four sections of Sophia College; from the nursery school to the senior college science classes! There was also a special luncheon prepared by the culinary students, a special Indian dance workshop, science and silk screening demonstrations, an interview of three of our students at the school's media production center, a henna hand design activity with the junior college boarders and so much more! Mr. O'Hagan also ran a special soccer clinic for the junior college team!

Barbara Pachetti:
“Today we went to Elephanta Island. We started the day early hoping to beat the heat and the crowds. We failed. December 6 happens to be an important day in the Indian calendar. Various political events are marked on this day and tens of thousands of people gather in Mumbai. We thought we had experienced large crowds in the past two days but this reached a whole new level. The girls were fantastic in keeping with our directions for safety, as usual.

We arrived by the Mumbai harbor to board a ferry to Elephanta island 10 kilometers off the coast in the Arabian Sea. This name was given by the Portuguese when they discovered an elephant statue on the island. This small island is a site protected by UNESCO and is home to a maze of cave temples predominantly dedicated to the Hindu god, Shiva. We climbed a steep hill to reach the site and admired the many statues with a couple of Sophia college faculty members including a history teacher who explained it to us. We could never do what we are so fortunate to do here in Mumbai without them. Their dedication to our group and our needs exceeds all expectations.

We then returned to school to rest and get ready for the rest of our day which included tea, reflections, journaling, quick shopping, and an unforgettable dinner at the famous Taj Mahal hotel, a gift from the Hattiangadi family.

Michael Chung: 
“Sister Annie Peters, RSCJ joined us at every step of the way on yesterday's trip. As Barbara said, the guidance from the Sophia College adult community has been amazing. The Sacred Heart Goals are alive and well at Sophia College!”

John O'Hagan: 
“Something that had a profound effect on me yesterday was the anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar, the man who wrote the Indian Constitution and basically gave the Dalit Society/ Untouchables in the caste system their freedom.

I sat opposite a number of Dalit people on the way to Elefanta and through Sr. Annie we chatted. It made me look at how wrong things were throughout the world and continue to be because of economics and the color of skin. 

At the Gate of India maybe 100,000+ had gathered to celebrate his anniversary. They were dressed in their best and so proud of who they were. I was so happy for them and the four sisters & mother that sat opposite us. The joy in their faces and the freedom they expressed as they hung their arms and smiled over the side of the boat.

John O'Hagan:
“In reflection on today, our last full day in Mumbai, I've realized a Sacred Heart child is not too dissimilar wherever they are in the world- they are curious, they are caring and they are courageous. These three traits will take them far, make them strong and make them fearless.”

Barbara Pachetti:
“We spent the day mostly on campus. After breakfast, the girls were invited to attend a lecture on Indian society. Teachers were asked to stay out of the classroom to allow the girls to be put into mixed groups and share freely. John, Michael and I then attended the second lecture on the Indian political system. We started with a basic history of the composition of the country (borders, states, religions, languages, behaviors, etc) up to the mechanisms of the political system. We then went to an hour long interaction with students and staff and we were all able to ask questions about the functioning of their daily lives in school. It was fascinating. After lunch, we had a presentation on the history and impact of Bollywood prepared by students and followed by a visit to the Museum of Indian cinema.

We finally had to say our last goodbyes to students and teachers with whom we connected, exchanged numbers and gifts, took pictures and gave many hugs with promises of seeing each other again. Our last reflection was in the school chapel and then we all went back to our rooms to pack.

Barbara Pachetti:
Today marked our last day in Mumbai. Mr. Kahn, our driver, picked us up at 7 AM. We loaded the bus and before long we were on our way to Bhokar where Sr. Prisca resides and where we will be staying for the next few days. The road trip was about 8 hours of changing landscapes and luscious fields. On the way, we stopped for lunch at a local roadside joint that fed us all with authentic food for just $25. We arrived in Bhokar and immediately felt the warm welcome of Sr. Prisca. The girls connected immediately with the students here while we connected with Hank’s Indian cousins, Marshall and Laira. After a delicious dinner and thoughtful reflections in the chapel, we headed back to our rooms exhausted and grateful. 

John O’Hagan: 
We visited St. Theresa's School in Haregaon, then returned to the Ashankur Women's Center in Bhokar where we are staying. A visit to two outreach programs, one outside, one inside where the students get remedial lessons. This is facilitated by the help of the nuns and the chief farm hand.

Reflecting on this day, and seeing the many smiling faces and enthusiastic high-fives and hugs, gave me the realization of what brings these emotions about. It's the place they are in, and what's so good about the place they are in, but it's the teachers who are there. I've spoken about the Sacred Heart students around the world, but Sacred Heart would also not be the fine institution they are without the faculty and staff they employ, including 91st Street. I've realized, throughout the world, how much "our'' faculty & staff care about our students and want them to succeed and the importance our schools’ place on getting good faculty and staff.

As Michael Chung mentioned, this was all done 'for the sake of one child' but how glad we should be that it has gone so much further and will continue to grow.

Good night from Bhokar.

Barbara Pachetti: 
One girl summed up today by saying “my heart is full”. Today we started with mass, then we spent the day with the boarding students and later with the families of day students. It was once again one those days where connections, friendships and community building took place in the most genuine way.

Barbara Pachetti:
Today was our last day at St. Theresa school. We had breakfast at Ashankur, loaded our suitcases on Mr. Kahn’s bus and drove to Haregaon.

December 12 is St Madeleine Sophie’s birthday and here, it is celebrated with a reenactment of her life. The kids performed in a play (in Marathi) in front of the students grades 5-8. After the play, Sister Jyoti organized a ceremony where gifts were exchanged and speeches offered to express gratitude from both sides. Kavya translated Nora’s speech in Hindi and Michael captured it all on his camera. We also received a lovely message from Sophia College where they celebrated as well.

The rest of the day in Haregaon resembled our spring fair where tickets were sold so everyone could purchase food prepared by parents and later play organized games. After a last lunch at the school we said our final goodbyes and drove to Nasik, a town halfway between Haregaon and Mumbai.

Before reaching Nasik we stopped on a farm for a barbecue dinner with a priest from Nasik who works closely with the RSCJs and whom Michael met two years ago. We are staying with him tonight in the youth center of the cathedral where he officiates. He came with three young men from the youth center who volunteered to cook and chat with the girls about their lives. They could not have been lovelier.

Tomorrow, we will sleep in until about 8, a first since we arrived. We have a sightseeing planned in the morning and after lunch we will head back to Mumbai to catch our flight back home via Qatar. The return will take us about 27 hours.

Everyone is in good spirits. We are tired but fulfilled. Many lessons were learned and even more connections were made.

Barbara Pachetti:
This was our last day in India. We had a restful night and a warm (yippie!) shower at the Youth Center of St Anne Cathedral in Nashik, an ancient holy city where devoted Hindi pilgrims come regularly. Father Molasco Gomez and the three young men who made the bbq dinner for us last night treated us to a homemade breakfast as well this morning. The girls continued to develop friendships and connections and so did we. Father then introduced us to the Bishop, who blessed us all.

Father Molasco took us to the shrine of the Infant Jesus where we met Fr. Erroll Fernandes, who took us to his church and delivered a beautifully welcoming sermon that truly touched my heart. He eloquently summarized what we witnessed daily and what we thrive to achieve: kindness, acceptance, generosity and above all, how to give unconditionally to others.

We then visited the waterfall of Jalalpur on the Godavari river, the second holy river after the Ganges, and had lunch nearby in Gaganpur.

It was time to leave to head back to Mumbai airport. What was supposed to be a three hour drive took us twice as long. Indian traffic is not a myth. Because roads are unmarked, what should be two lanes is a mishmash of cars, trucks, buses, cows, motorcycle and pedestrians weaving, passing on both sides, and honking incessantly. But we made it! We said goodbye to our wonderful driver, Mr. Kahn, and had dinner. 

We are excited to come home and share our experience with you all. That said, Michael, John and I struggle to verbalize all that we experienced in the past eleven days. It will take us a little bit of time to process. The same is probably true for the girls. One thing is for sure, we are returning with a new perspective on several aspects of our daily lives from education, grit, generosity of heart, selflessness, material things that you need or don’t need to be happy, etc. Truly eye opening.

John O’Hagan: 
These people of India gave us everything they had - time, space, love and compassion - and when you add in the tangible things, I wondered how they did it. We cannot let this moment slip away from us. These schools and especially the students in Haregoan and Ashankur need us.

Listening to some of our girls talk also made me wonder about what they saw and how it was being processed. Our students brought joy, hope, and promise to their Indian little sisters. The joy was visible from ear to ear, the smiles infectious; these little girls’ big sisters, or 'didi's,' as they were called, made them laugh, played with them, drew with them, created art with them. We brought hope: hope, because we visited this small town and village, and they know they are not unknown, they are not forgotten. People know and care about them. We must continue to care; then, there is promise. We can do this again and continue to do this, continue to foster this beautiful relationship between all three schools/ centers. 

The head nuns of all three schools are strong and courageous people, just like Philippine Duchesne...they've taken these challenges on. They have found the strength to build and prosper, even in the face of adversity. This time and moment cannot be a once-off. I know that it won't be. 

I don't think I'll ever forget this trip or the people I met. They taught me a lot. When driving to Nasik with my suitcase tied to the roof of the bus, we hit a lot of bumpy roads, and I thought, what would happen if my suitcase flew off? My response: nothing. I wouldn't be too bothered. It's just 'stuff.' We have too much stuff. This trip has given me so much perspective on my life. I was made to feel uncomfortable, I was pushed emotionally and mentally - that's ok. It's good, it builds character. Until I see you all on the other side..."oh come 91st street and lead us on, in thy house is wisdom and strength of God."