Sister Mini Joseph of the Sisters of Jesus Mary Joseph (JMJ), is the first CARA-ASEC Visiting Scholar to be selected from India, and the 9th scholar to enter the fellowship.
Sr. Mini earned a Masters of Science in Nursing from the St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in Guntur, India and a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from M.G.R. University in Chennai, India. She currently serves as Ward In-Charge at St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Guntur, India. Sr. Mini has over 17 years of experience in nursing, both in staff nursing and administration. She also has served as a nursing instructor, teaching and training staff at the St. Mary’s School of Nursing in Varanasi, India.
Sr. Mini continues to seek opportunities in which she can teach nurses and endeavors to offer effective and comprehensive healthcare to patients in a hospital setting. Her areas of expertise include: critical thinking in emergency situations, stress management, holistic patient and family care, HIV/AIDS care, casting and splinting, biomedical waste management, and patient transfers.
While serving as a Visiting Scholar fellow, Sr. Mini reports that she will conduct quantitative research on sisters serving as doctors in India and the challenges they face both in ministry and community life. Sr. Mini is particularly interested in the Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI) and the Sisters Doctors Forum of India (SDFI), both organizations have worked to address healthcare challenges in India through the training of effective sister medical doctors.
Sr. Mini arrived in Washington, D.C. to begin her stay at CARA in January 2023 and will conclude the fellowship and return to India in June 2023.
While visiting the ASEC US office (May 8-11, 2023), Sr. Mini became more familiar with ASEC’s programs, increased her understanding of ASEC’s mission, and was assisted in carrying out her Visiting Scholar research as it pertains to ASEC.
Sr. Lucy is the ninth research fellowship recipient, preceded by the following African Sister Scholars:
- Sr. Bibiana M. Ngundo, LSOSF, Kenya
- Sr. Florence Emurayeveya, EHJ, Nigeria
- Sr. Joan Chisala, CJSB, Zambia
- Sr. Hellen Anthony Bandiho, STH, Tanzania
- Sr. Margaret Mary Dione Ajebe-Sone, SST, Cameroon
- Sr. Aloysia Sebueng Makoae, SNJM, Lesotho
- Sr. Lucy Dora Akello, LSMIG, Uganda
- Sr. Victorine Atsufui Afi Dorkenoo, SMMC, Ghana
Learn more about this program and ASEC's research initiative.
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In 2015-2016, ASEC entered into an agreement with Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University to bring African sisters to the U.S. for a Visiting Scholar Fellowship. CARA is a national, nonprofit research center that conducts social scientific studies about the Catholic Church. The chosen sister will work and study with CARA to advance their research skills. ASEC is partnered with CARA to recruitment the sister scholars and engage them in research opportunities, including over one week at its Scranton, PA, office.
