Friday, January 8, 2010: Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity

This morning we woke early to attend 6:00 am Mass at the Mother House of Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity.  The simple Chapel (similar to a lunchroom in an old school building) was filled with Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity as they prayed devotions before Mass.  Fr. Peter Laird, who later today will join the group for the remainder of our journey, said the Mass.

After Mass, we were honored to meet with Sister Gertrude.  Sister Gertrude was born in 1929 and met Mother Teresa in 1946.  She was the third Sister in the Missionaries of Charity and was with Mother Teresa when Mother Teresa passed.  Sister Agnes Gertrude told us of the spirit of the congregation - that their mission was to be Christlike and to see Christ in every person.  Sister Gertrude told us of the difficulties they encountered in the early days, not only the difficulties in comforting and caring for the poor, but even simply in being accepted by the poor.  Mother Teresa realized that to be accepted by the poor, the Sisters had to live like the poor and even dress like the poor.  Thus the simple habits worn by the Sisters.

Mother Teresa's tomb is located in the room next to the Chapel.  Like everything involving Mother Teresa, it is very simple but also very elegant in its simplicity.

Pictures will be sparce today.  Cameras are not permitted in most of the Mother House and photographs are not permitted to be taked by volunteers in the orphanages and other Missionary of Charity facilities except by long-term volunteers on the last day of their volunteer term.    

Sister Gertrude

Sister Gertrude and Fr. Laird in the Chapel