Seremban nun dies days after helmet attack

 

KUALA LUMPUR: Sister Julianna Lim died at the Seremban hospital this afternoon, six days after she and another nun were attacked with helmets outside the Church of the Visitation in the Negri Sembilan state capital.

The 68-year-old nun was walking with another nun, Sister Marie-Rose Teng, to the church for morning prayers when they were assaulted in an apparent robbery.


Lim had been on life support after falling into a coma and being in a critical condition following the attack while 80-year-old Sister Marie-Rose was discharged from the Seremban hospital after being treated for bruises.
According to Seremban police, Lim succumbed to her injuries at 3.25pm.
In the incident which happened just before the 6.30am mass last Wednesday, Lim and Teng were attacked by a lone man.
The assailant, wearing a full-screen crash helmet and carrying a lighted torch, ran after the two nuns who were dressed in ordinary clothes.
The assailant was then seen running towards his motorcycle and fleeing the scene.
The two nuns were found lying on the ground when the church main doors were opened for the morning mass.
On Sunday, Parit Buntar PAS MP Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa who had visited Lim in hospital said he had spoken with the Health Ministry about sending a neurologist to Seremban to explain her situation to her family.
On Friday, the Church of the Visitation had released a statement detailing the events that transpired where it mentioned that based on their closed-circuit television camera recording, at 6.05am, a passing motorcyclist on seeing the potential victims, made a U-turn and rode into Gate 2 after the nuns had driven into the church ground.
The assailant was believed to have grabbed the bags carried by the nuns which contained a Bible, prayer book, rosary and a small amount of cash.
According to the biodata provided by the Infant Jesus Convent, Lim joined the IJ Novitiate in 1964 and took her final vows as a sister eight years later.
She then started teaching in 1968 and her postings included the IJ Convent schools in Alor Star, Batu Pahat and Malacca, where she taught until she retired.
Following her retirement, she was involved in non-formal education/tuition in Sentul, Port Dickson and Seremban from 2001 until two years ago.
Meanwhile, Church of the Visitation Seremban parish priest Father John Gnanapiragasam said that a wake service will be held at the Visitation Centre along Jalan Lee Sam tomorrow and Thursday at 8pm.
In expressing his appreciation for the care and concern shown by people of all faiths, he added that all were welcome to the wake service.
The funeral service will be held at the Church of the Visitation at 1pm on Friday.
According to the parish priest, a neurosurgeon from Kuala Lumpur Hospital had looked at the reports on Lim and briefed family members of her condition today after her family made a plea to Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye who visited yesterday.
"It was very timely and it helped the family accept the real situation," Gnanapiragasam said.
He added that Infant Jesus Provincial head Sister Celina Wong was at her beside when Lim passed away.