SR. ARINA GONSALVES, RJM

India

Educator, Lawyer, Counsellor.

Vice-provincial of the Religious of Jesus and Mary (Province of Pune & India). BA in Sociology, B Ed., L.L.B, MA. Expert in educational systems, pedagogy and civil law. Certified counsellor. Incharge of Apostolic Mission, Catechism and Value Education.

Vice-provincial of the Religious of Jesus and Mary (Province of Pune & India) Sr Arina is an expert in educational systems, pedagogy and civil law. She is the secretary general of the St Joseph’s Safeguarding Centre for the Latin Rite Catholic Bishops Conference of India.

Sr. Arina serves as an administrator of St. Agnes High School, Byculla, Mumbai, St. Margaret’s Teachers Training College, Byculla, Mumbai, Convent of Jesus and Mary, Kharghar, New Mumbai, Convent of Jesus and Mary School, Palli, Vasai, and Prem Dan Primary School for street children at Reay Road, Mumbai. She is chairperson of the Convent of Jesus and Mary Special School, Byculla, Mumbai, for differently abled children and also the deputy chairperson of Uddhaar, an NGO that promotes rural educational projects in India.

She holds bachelor degrees in sociology, educational science and civil law and a master’s degree in history. Sr. Arina is also a certified counsellor. She has worked as a consultor to her diocese in cases of sexual abuse of minors, serving and chairing panels of experts in the field.

Sr. Arina serves as chairperson of the Internal Enquiry Committee of the Archdiocese of Bombay.

She has been a member of the WRCFE Western Region Commission for Education (Forum of Catholic Bishop of Western India) since 2011 and a member of the Catholic Lawyers Guild, South Mumbai.

In 2022, Pope Francis reappointed her a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.