Trivandrum:

Christy Babu, hailing from Thrissur, a town in the South Indian state of Kerala, recently professed her first vows with the Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate (MSMI) congregation. But what makes her vocation story unique is the fact that she took the decision to become a religious nun while she was climbing the professional ladder at Infosys—a highly reputed Indian multinational information technology company.

Born to C J Babu and Lissy, Christy and her two elder siblings had a Catholic upbringing. Christy fostered a deep connection to God in prayer from a young age. The Bible and biographies of saints were her constant companion during her teenage years. However, the idea of becoming a religious nun never crossed her mind.

After completing her B. Tech Degree, Christy started working as a software engineer at Infosys. Despite her busy work, she made time to share the love and mercy of God both within and outside her office. This was also when she came in touch with Jesus Youth (an international Catholic youth movement). Through the friendships and fellowship within the Jesus Youth, she experienced a profound sense of liberation and a more personal connection to God's Fatherly love than ever before.

May 2019 became a turning point in her life when Christy chose to spend her birthday at a discalced Carmelite cloistered convent. The overflowing joy of the nuns detached from the world prompted her to consider why she too could not dedicate the rest of her life entirely to Christ. Christy was convinced that only Jesus could satisfy her soul and give her real, unfading joy.

However, following this experience, Christy faced many hardships and confusion. Her family expected her to marry. Meanwhile, the company offered her the option to go onsite to the United States or Australia. But Christy wanted nothing more than to fulfill God’s purposes for her life. The discernment process took nearly a year and finally, Christy was ready to put down her papers. She was providentially led to the Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate, a religious congregation that is deeply involved in preaching the Word of God and family apostolate.

“A life consecrated to God is not boring or sad, but rather filled with joy and happiness. Community life allows doing many things enthusiastically for God and society,” said Sr Christy to SW News. She would urge men and women going through vocation discernment to try spending a day or two at a convent or a monastery. Content with her new life, Sr Christy believes that serving the Creator of the world is far more rewarding than serving any CEO.

Christy made her first profession of vows and received the religious habit on November 6, 2023, and is currently serving as the vocation promoter at one of the congregation's provinces.