Gladys Staines

Gladys Staines (born c. 1951) is the widow of Australian missionary Graham Staines. Graham Staines was burnt alive along with their two sons Philip (aged 10) and Timothy (aged 7) by a mob led by the Bajrang Dal activist Dara Singh in Odisha, India on 22 January 1999.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Shortly after the sentencing of the killers, Staines issued a statement saying that she had forgiven the killers and had no bitterness towards them.^[4] Rather than return to Australia, Staines "decided to stay in India where she and her husband had served lepers for 15 years", keeping her daughter Esther, with her, stating: "I cannot just leave those people who love and trust us. I have high regard for the people of India and their tolerance."^[5]

In 2004, Christianity Today described this woman as "the best-known Christian in India after Mother Teresa."^[5] In 2005, she was awarded the Padma Shri, a civilian award from the Government of India.^[6]^[7] As a result of the contributions earned from receiving that award, Staines transformed the leper house she served at into a full hospital.^[8] The hospital is named Graham Staines Memorial Hospital, established in 2004. In November 2015, Staines was awarded the Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice and after receiving the award, she stated "I thank God for his help in enabling me to carry out the work in caring for people with leprosy, even after my husband was killed."^[9]^[10]

References

^ "Movie on Graham Staines Fails to Be the Reminder India Needs". The Wire. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
^ "Anti-Christian Violence on the Rise in India". Human Rights Watch. 30 September 1999. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
^ "V. ATTACKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY". www.hrw.org. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
^ "I have forgiven them": Gladys Staines
^ ^a ^b Lee, Morgan (15 December 2015). "Forgiver of Missionary Martyrdoms Wins India's Mother Teresa Award". Christianity Today. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
^ "Film marks the 20th anniversary of missionary Graham Staines' killing in India". Religion Unplugged. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
^ Carvalho, Nirmala (25 November 2015). "INDIA "Mother Teresa" award to the widow of Pastor Graham Staines". AsiaNews. Retrieved 16 December 2015. Thanks to the contributions received for the Padma Shri award, obtained in 2004, the widow managed to transform the house for lepers in a real hospital, where patients can receive all the care they need. Gladys continues: "I thank God for His Grace and the support of the people which enabled the continue to serve with compassion the people. Through my award, I would like to honor the people, who through God's help continue the work. The hospital is serving the people afflicted with leprosy. Additionally, after my husband was killed, a hostel for children has been built which gives the children an opportunity for education. The Lord Jesus Christ has given me peace in my heart. I greatest wish for Orissa would be the people would become self-reliant and empowered, and live together in harmony and they may have peace in their hearts ."
^ Lee, Morgan (15 December 2015). "Forgiver of Missionary Martyrdoms Wins India's Mother Teresa Award". Christianity Today. Retrieved 16 December 2015. Last month, Gladys was named the 2015 recipient of the prestigious Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice by the Harmony Foundation, a Mumbai-based charity that grants the only award endorsed by the famous nun's Missionaries of Charity. "I thank God for his help in enabling me to carry out the work in caring for people with leprosy, even after my husband was killed," Staines told AsiaNews after being named this year's winner.
^ Carvalho, Nirmala (25 November 2015). "INDIA "Mother Teresa" award to the widow of Pastor Graham Staines". AsiaNews. Retrieved 16 December 2015.

External links

"Kalam meets Gladys Staines", 15 May 2003
"No comments, says Gladys Staines", 15 September 2003
"Gladys Staines may leave India forever" - Times of India article, 14 July 2004
"Gladys Staines bids adieu to India" - Times of India article, 15 July 2004
"Gladys Staines leaves India promising to return"

This Australian biography article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Movie on Graham Staines Fails to Be the Reminder India Needs". The Wire. Retrieved 31 May 2019.

[2] "Anti-Christian Violence on the Rise in India". Human Rights Watch. 30 September 1999. Retrieved 7 April 2020.

[3] "V. ATTACKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY". www.hrw.org. Retrieved 7 April 2020.

[4] "I have forgiven them": Gladys Staines

[Lee2015-5] Lee, Morgan (15 December 2015). "Forgiver of Missionary Martyrdoms Wins India's Mother Teresa Award". Christianity Today. Retrieved 16 December 2015.

[Padma_Awards-6] "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.

[7] "Film marks the 20th anniversary of missionary Graham Staines' killing in India". Religion Unplugged. Retrieved 7 April 2020.

[8] Carvalho, Nirmala (25 November 2015). "INDIA "Mother Teresa" award to the widow of Pastor Graham Staines". AsiaNews. Retrieved 16 December 2015. Thanks to the contributions received for the Padma Shri award, obtained in 2004, the widow managed to transform the house for lepers in a real hospital, where patients can receive all the care they need. Gladys continues: "I thank God for His Grace and the support of the people which enabled the continue to serve with compassion the people. Through my award, I would like to honor the people, who through God's help continue the work. The hospital is serving the people afflicted with leprosy. Additionally, after my husband was killed, a hostel for children has been built which gives the children an opportunity for education. The Lord Jesus Christ has given me peace in my heart. I greatest wish for Orissa would be the people would become self-reliant and empowered, and live together in harmony and they may have peace in their hearts ."

[9] Lee, Morgan (15 December 2015). "Forgiver of Missionary Martyrdoms Wins India's Mother Teresa Award". Christianity Today. Retrieved 16 December 2015. Last month, Gladys was named the 2015 recipient of the prestigious Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice by the Harmony Foundation, a Mumbai-based charity that grants the only award endorsed by the famous nun's Missionaries of Charity. "I thank God for his help in enabling me to carry out the work in caring for people with leprosy, even after my husband was killed," Staines told AsiaNews after being named this year's winner.

[10] Carvalho, Nirmala (25 November 2015). "INDIA "Mother Teresa" award to the widow of Pastor Graham Staines". AsiaNews. Retrieved 16 December 2015.

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v t e Recipients of Padma Shri in Social Work
1950s	Mary Clubwala Jadhav (1955) R. S. Subbalakshmi (1958) Sailabala Das (1959) Lakshman Singh Jangpangi (1959)
1960s	Nanabhai Bhatt (1960) Bina Das (1960) Sophia Wadia (1960) Kamalabai Hospet (1961) Mithuben Petit (1961) N. Ramaswami Ayyar (1962) Mother Teresa (1962) Brij Krishna Chandiwala (1963) Leela Sumant Moolgaokar (1963) Leela Sumant Moolgaokar (1963) Ambujammal (1964) Mona Chandravati Gupta (1965) Lakshmi Mazumdar (1965) Gordhandas Bhagwandas Narottamdas (1965) John Richardson (1965) Manibhai Desai (1968) Bhaurao Gaikwad (1968) Shalini Moghe (1968) Sis Ram Ola (1968) Kalyan Singh Gupta (1969) Mangru Ganu Uikey (1969)
1970s	Indumati Chimanlal Sheth (1970) Maniben Kara (1970) Baba Amte (1971) Robin Banerjee (1971) Lila Ramkumar Bhargava (1971) Savita Behen (1971) Pandurang Dharmaji Jadhav (1971) Yudhvir Singh (1971) Avabai Bomanji Wadia (1971) Badri Prasad Bajoria (1972) Kanta Saroop Krishen (1972) Iyyanki Venkata Ramanayya (1972) Chandraprabha Saikiani (1972) Sarojini Varadappan (1973) Queenie H. C. Captain (1974) L. Kijungluba Ao (1976) Bishambhar Nath Pande (1976) Ismail Ahmed Cachalia (1977) Dhani Prem (1977)
1980s	Kunwar Singh Negi (1981) Bhagat Puran Singh (1981) Claire Vellut (1981) Swami Kalyandev (1982) Shiv Dutt Upadhyaya (1982) M. P. Nachimuthu (1983) Omem Moyong Deori (1984) Zainulabedin Gulamhusain Rangoonwala (1984) Ela Bhatt (1985) Ratnappa Kumbhar (1985) Anutai Wagh (1985) Chandi Prasad Bhatt (1986) Mahasweta Devi (1986) Krishan Dev Dewan (1986) Tushar Kanjilal (1986) Avdhash Kaushal (1986) Narayan Singh Manaklao (1986) Bunker Roy (1986) Begum Zaffar Ali (1987) Jaya Arunachalam (1987) Darshan Singh Vohra (1988) Mithu Alur (1989) Vedaratnam Appakutti (1989) Rajmohini Devi (1989) Krishnammal Jagannathan (1989) Mag Raj Jain (1989) Edward Kutchat (1989)
1990s	Anna Hazare (1990) Renana Jhabvala (1990) Silverine Swer (1990) Silverine Swer (1991) Vimla Dang (1991) T. G. K. Menon (1991) Jagdish Kashibhai Patel (1991) D. Y. Patil (1991) Sundaram Ramakrishnan (1991) Kantilal Hastimal Sancheti (1991) Shanthi Ranganathan (1992) Vidyaben Shah (1992) Leonarda Angela Casiraghi (1998) Antony Padiyara (1998) Shantha Sinha (1998) Kanta Tyagi (1998) Acharya Ramamurti (1999) T. Sailo (1999) Natwar Thakkar (1999)
2000s	Neidonuo Angami (2000) Jagan Nath Kaul (2000) Patricia Mukhim (2000) Janaky Athi Nahappan (2000) Hanumappa Sudarshan (2000) Rabindra Nath Upadhyay (2000) Tulasi Munda (2001) Norma Alvares (2002) Prakash Amte (2002) Kiran Martin (2002) Prema Narendra Purao (2002) Sivananda Rajaram (2002) Verna Elizabeth Watre Ingty (2003) Queenie Rynjah (2004) Hema Bharali (2005) Nana Chudasama (2005) Lalsawma (2005) Theilin Phanbuh (2005) Gladys Staines (2005) Suwalal Bafna (2006) Anil Prakash Joshi (2006) Sudha Murty (2006) Sudha Varghese (2006) Melhupra Vero (2006) Runa Banerjee (2007) S. M. Cyril (2007) M. A. Yusuff Ali (2008) Sheela Borthakur (2008) Karuna Mary Braganza (2008) V. R. Gowrishankar (2008) Kshama Metre (2008) Kutikuppala Surya Rao (2008) Madan Mohan Sabharwal (2008) Vikramjit Singh Sahney (2008) Bilkees Latif (2009) Keepu Tsering Lepcha (2009) C. K. Menon (2009) Joseph H. Pereira (2009) Sunil Kanti Roy (2009) Mitraniketan Viswanathan (2009)
2010s	Anu Aga (2010) J. R. Gangaramani (2010) Deep Joshi (2010) Sudha Kaul (2010) Ayekpam Tomba Meetei (2010) Kurian John Melamparambil (2010) Sudhir M. Parikh (2010) Kranti Shah (2010) Baba Sewa Singh (2010) Mamraj Agrawal (2011) Jockin Arputham (2011) Nomita Chandy (2011) Martha Chen (2011) Azad Moopen (2011) Sheela Patel (2011) Anita Reddy (2011) Kanubhai Hasmukhbhai Tailor (2011) Shamshad Begum (2012) Reeta Devi (2012) P. K. Gopal (2012) G. Muniratnam (2012) Niranjan Pranshankar Pandya (2012) Uma Tuli (2012) S. P. Varma (2012) Phoolbasan Bai Yadav (2012) Binny Yanga (2012) Jharna Dhara Chowdhury (2013) S. K. M. Maeilanandhan (2013) Nileema Mishra (2013) Reema Nanavati (2013) Manju Bharat Ram (2013) Narendra Dabholkar (2014) Mukul Chandra Goswami (2014) Durga Jain (2014) J. L. Kaul (2014) Mathur Savani (2014) Ashok Bhagat (2015) Janak Palta McGilligan (2015) Meetha Lal Mehta (2015) Veerendra Raj Mehta (2015) Bimla Poddar (2015) Madeleine Herman de Blic (2016) Madhu Pandit Dasa (2016) Ajoy Kumar Dutta (2016) Damal Kandalai Srinivasan (2016) Sunitha Krishnan (2016) Sundar Menon (2016) Arunachalam Muruganantham (2016) P. Gopinathan Nair (2016) Sudharak Olwe (2016) Girish Bharadwaj (2017) Appasaheb Dharmadhikari (2017) Bipin Ganatra (2017) Karimul Haque (2017) Anuradha Koirala (2017) Suhas Vitthal Mapuskar (2017) Daripalli Ramaiah (2017) Balbir Singh Seechewal (2017) Damodar Ganesh Bapat (2018) Sitavva Joddati (2018) Subhasini Mistry (2018) Sulagitti Narasamma (2018) Abdullah Bin Othman (2018) Sampat Ramteke (2018) Draupadi Ghimiray (2019) Bulu Imam (2019) Friederike Irina Bruning (2019) Chinna Pillai (2019) Shabbir Sayyad (2019) Jyoti Kumar Sinha (2019) Saalumarada Thimmakka (2019) Jamuna Tudu (2019) Muktaben Pankajkumar Dagli (2019)
2020s	Jagdish Lal Ahuja (2020) Popatrao Baguji Pawar (2020) Usha Chaumar (2020) Lia Diskin (2020) Sangkhumi Bualchhuak (2020 Tulsi Gowda (2020) Harekala Hajabba (2020) Tetsu Nakamura (2020) S. Ramakrishnan (2020) Sayed Mehboob Shah Qadri (2020) Mohammed Sharif (2020) Ramjee Singh (2020) Agus Indra Udayana (2020) Sundaram Verma (2020) Sindhutai Sapkal (2021) Girish Prabhune (2021) Prabhaben Shah (2022) Savaji Bhai Dholakia (2022) Gamit Ramilaben Raysingbhai (2022) Om Prakash Gandhi (2022) K V Rabiya (2022) Srimad Baba Balia (2022) Prem Singh (2022) Baba Iqbal Singh Ji (2022) S Damodaran (2022) Basanti Devi (2022) Bhiku Ramji Idate (2023) Bikram Bahadur Jamatia (2023) Ramkuiwangbe Jeme Newme (2023) Hirabai Lobi (2023) Moolchand Lodha (2023) Gajanan Jagannath Mane (2023) Uma Shankar Pandey (2023) V. P. Appukutta Poduval (2023) Vadivel Gopal and Masi Sadaiyan (2023) Sankurathri Chandra Sekhar (2023) Laxman Singh (2023) Palam Kalyana Sundaram (2023) Karma Wangchu (Posthumous) (2023) Sangthankima (2024)