Growing in Relationship

Nimmi Candappa, 15 June 2023

For a long time now, Nimmi Candappa has wanted to help people to grow in their relationship with God. Yet her journey to find a good fit as a ministry pathway has been ongoing. Ever since her early 20s, Nimmi has looked for ways to be involved in the Church, “to live out my faith in a more tangible way” and to draw people to God. In her Melbourne parish, Nimmi participated in, and led, prayer groups, Alpha, Lector and Eucharistic ministry, singing and leading the choir at Mass, visiting the elderly, starting an interparish walk, and multiple other ways of serving. This then led to being involved with prayer and religious groups outside of her parish community.

Nimmi continued to explore other callings and means of ministry. She took time off work to volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity in Peru, then discerned a possible vocation to many different religious orders back home. However, she didn’t find what she was looking for: “a means to live out and present your faith in a specific way, rather than as part of another role.” It seemed to her that the religious vocation of a nun/Sister involved taking on another role (such as teacher, nurse or social worker), and hoping people would see through her actions to her motivating faith. There didn’t appear to be vocations for women currently with permission and financial support to draw people to God explicitly; to speak and teach directly, rather than through another role.

With some disillusionment, Nimmi reasoned that if she had to have a secular role, it might as well be as the qualified engineer she already was. However, while completing her PhD, she discovered another way to be involved: the Plenary Council. Nimmi found much satisfaction in connecting people through the synodal processes, and was eventually chosen as a Member from the Melbourne Archdiocese. At the Sydney assembly, Nimmi was able to speak about women’s roles in the Church, though she experienced defenses from “a need for certainty and clear boundaries.” She was disappointed that the fundamental concern of some did not seem to be about growing people’s relationship with God.

Nevertheless, Nimmi has learned to distinguish between her deep, personal need for faith, and the structures of church hierarchy. She found work as a Charism Coordinator for a religious order, and now is an Evangelisation Coordinator in a parish. She talks to many people regularly about faith and leads prayer and programs. Recently, Nimmi felt blessed to facilitate a retreat in which she could “explore that need to open our hearts to God rather than going through the motions of religion.” She was able to create a trusting environment, in which she could gradually draw participants out, sensitive to their needs for grace, intimacy or closure. Though Nimmi said that she was “not in my comfort zone”, the participants were greatly affected and she felt at peace in her role.   

Having a formal role in church ministry is “critical” for Nimmi. It gives the person permission to serve in a particular manner, but even more, it gives the people they serve permission to trust. A formal role means that the minister has the necessary qualities and abilities, and has gone through an authorised process. Despite knowing that all baptised people are called to serve and evangelise, a ministry role allows others to receive better the love and service being provided. Nimmi has experienced a difference in how an audience received similar comments said by her, and a formal preacher or priest, owing mostly to the audience’s trust in the role rather than the person.

For Nimmi, a major part of the permanent diaconate is preaching. She says that by not having women deacons, we are missing out as a Church at present because we are not hearing women’s voices through preaching. While “not all women think alike”, they can connect to scripture in new and broader ways, for example the mothering and life-giving images of God. She experienced this when her parishes had women as pastoral associates, though this is not the case anymore. Nimmi reflects, “Rather than sticking to tradition for tradition’s sake, the question forefront in our minds should be – whether in finding ways to reach people at the margins, or reaching out to those that are internally far from the Source – ‘will it bring people to God?’” In any case, with prayer and goodwill, Nimmi hopes that the Church can think creatively and humbly about including significant, life-giving roles for women into the future.    

    

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