How three Kerala nuns sewed clothing business ‘Stand By Me’ to survive after opposing the church

Screenshot from ‘Stand By Me’ Promotional Video | Photo credit: special arrangement

Sewing was once just another skill learned in the monastery. Today, it has become their way of piecing together their own lives.

In the Mission House of St. Francis in Kuravilangad in Kerala’s Kottayam district, a place that was once at the center of a storm in the Catholic Church, now hums with sewing machines during the day. Fabric is measured and cut, needles run through the fabric and one garment after another is shaped.

Behind the machine are three nuns who, after years of living an isolated life trying to meet even their basic needs, are now building something they can call their own, a small clothing business called ‘Stand By Me’.

Supported by friends, supporters

Nightgowns, churidar tops, co-ord sets, bags, table mats and runners are among the products that come out of their workspace. The desperate struggle for survival gradually grew into a start-up business, supported by friends and supporters who stood by them during some of the most difficult years of their lives.

But every stitch in this small workspace carries the weight of a much more difficult journey.

In 2018, a nun accused former Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal of rape after repeated attempts to seek redress from higher church authorities failed. Her complaint set off a chain of events that rocked the church and sparked a national debate about its power structures.

On September 8 that year, five nuns, including three now in Kuravilangad, staged a sit-in in Kochi demanding justice. It was an unprecedented protest where a group of nuns publicly challenged the authority of the church hierarchy. A few days later, Bishop Mulakkal, then head of the Latin Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar, was arrested.

But the arrest did not end their suffering.

When a local court acquitted Bishop Mulakkal on 14 January 2022, citing a lack of evidence, the nuns faced an uncertain future in the Church. The survivor has since challenged the verdict in the Kerala High Court.

As the legal battle continued, their life at the monastery became increasingly difficult. In 2023, financial aid was stopped for them, which allowed them to cover even basic expenses. The Kerala government eventually came to know about their circumstances and issued them ration cards in January this year (2026).

Two of the nuns, both MSW graduates, were trying to find practice. However, opportunities proved difficult to obtain, which they believed was due to their association with a high-profile case.

“We wondered how we would survive if we didn’t have a penny in hand,” one of them recalled.

As the pressure mounted, two of the five eventually left the religious life. The remaining three decided to stay together. And it was at this point that they stopped looking for a job and decided to create one for themselves.

With the help of supporters, they bought sewing machines and revived the tailoring skills they learned years ago. The first orders came from friends and supporters. As news spread, the trickle of orders gradually turned into a steady stream.

Exhibition sale

The small business has since grown to the point where it employs two workers. The nuns have also put their wares on display in various parts of the state and are now gearing up to launch ‘Stand By Me’ online soon. “That name was suggested by the very people who stood by them in their most difficult years. We willingly accepted it,” said the nun.

Today, ‘Stand By Me’ tells the story of three women who have gone from struggling to satisfy even their basic needs to building a life they can sustain themselves.

Published – 05 Sep 2026 14:07 IST