'Stand By Me': Three nuns find a new beginning behind sewing machine

KOTTAYAM: For a nun who endured a long and difficult legal battle after accusing a Catholic bishop of rape, and the two fellow nuns who stood by her, a small clothing venture called 'Stand By Me' has become a new chapter in their lives--a way to earn a living, and reclaim a sense of control over their future.

Years after the rape case involving former Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal drew nationwide attention, the three nuns found themselves facing a different challenge--how to make a living on their own terms.

At their convent in Kuravilangadu, the answer came through a sewing machine.

What began as a skill to learn has grown into a modest but expanding clothing venture, giving the three women not just work, but a measure of independence and a life beyond the ordeal that brought them into the public eye.

"We started it out of necessity. The tailoring we had learnt in the past has now become a means of livelihood for us," the nun who raised the allegations against the bishop told the media on Thursday.

Food, clothing and medicines cost money, she said, adding that when financial support was no longer available, the three decided that earning their own livelihood was the way forward.

"We need money for food, clothes and medicines. When those things were denied to us, we decided to work and earn for ourselves," she said.

The venture began modestly, with most orders coming from people known to them. Encouraged by the response, they have now decided to expand it and reach a wider market.

"We have decided to take it forward on a larger scale. There are many people who have stood by us, and it was they who suggested the name 'Stand By Me'," she said.

Within a month, the nuns hope to take their products online as well.

Their journey towards financial independence, however, began at a particularly difficult point.

In 2023, their financial assistance at the convent was stopped, leaving them wondering how they would meet even their basic needs.

"We wondered how we would survive without even a penny in our hands," the nun recalled.

Two of the nuns, who hold MSW degrees, tried looking for internships. But opportunities proved difficult to find because of their association with the legal case.

"That was when we understood that getting a job was not easy. So, we wanted to do something that nobody could take away from us," she said.

With the help of their well-wishers, they obtained sewing machines and began reviving their old tailoring skills to eke out a living.

Their work has since grown beyond a few orders. They make nighties, churidar tops, co-ord sets, bags, table mats and runners, and have also employed two workers.

They have also successfully conducted exhibition sales in Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram with the support of well-wishers.

For the three nuns, 'Stand By Me' is more than a brand name. It is a reminder of the people who stayed beside them when the road was difficult, and of their own determination to stand on their own feet.

Only three of the five nuns who had stood together in support of the survivor remain at the Kuravilangadu convent. The other two have since left religious life.

In January this year, the Kerala government issued ration cards to them after learning about their plight.

Mulakkal, who was acquitted by a local court in 2022 in the rape case, later resigned as Jalandhar Bishop. The nun subsequently challenged the trial court verdict before the Kerala High Court.