Being the Medicine and Refuge with Sister Lucy of Maher

When a broken heart turns into a blueprint, one woman can quietly change the fate of thousands. In this episode, Christine sits down with Sister Lucy Kurien, the visionary founder of Maher (“Mother’s Home”), an interfaith, caste-free network of homes for women, children, and men in India.

Called to Serve

Sister Lucy Kurien was born in 1956 in Kolayad, Kannur District, Kerala, India. After several years of formal education, at age 14 she moved to Mumbai, where she was profoundly distressed by the appalling poverty and squalor in the city. Having carried a strong inner desire for justice since childhood, she felt a deep calling to make a difference in the lives of the poor and famished around her. In 1980, she joined Sisters of the Cross, a religious order. It was a difficult decision that meant giving up the bliss of an independent and free life. After 4 years of training, she was professed to the order.

The Birth of Maher

Sister Lucy started Maher activities in a small home in Vadhu Budruk, near Bhima Koregaon on the Ahmednagar highway. Her tireless efforts and the work of the dedicated staff led to the expansion of Maher activities to nearby areas. These include the villages in Shirur, Haveli and Khed talukas, as well as the city of Ratnagiri, Miraj & Satara in Maharashtra. Beyond Maharashtra, Maher has established homes in Kerala, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. In 2011, unable to ignore the plight of abandoned men on the streets, Maher opened its first home for destitute, aged, and mentally challenged men. Today Maher reaches the life of the poorest of the poor through as many as 25 different outreach projects, including 672 village self-help groups and 75 interfaith, caste-free homes that currently shelter 996 children and 292 men and over 798 destitute women. Since its founding, Maher has provided care and shelter for more than 6200 children, 6,500 women, and 850 men.

In this conversation, you’ll hear how Sister Lucy transforms heartbreak into practical compassion—turning love into food, shelter, education, mental health care, and long-term dignity.

Press play to hear Sister Lucy’s extraordinary story and what it truly means to be “the medicine and refuge” in a hurting world—and if her work moves you, please donate to Maher. Your listening amplifies her message; your giving helps keep “Mother’s Home” open for those who have nowhere else to turn.

(00:00:00): Introduction to Sister Lucy as a Living Practitioner of Love