Missionaries of Christ's Charity

MINISTERING TO THE POOREST OF THE POOR IN SAIGON VIETNAMACCORDING TO THE SPIRITUALITY
OF MOTHER TERESA

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanic, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the author.
For permission please write to:

Rev. Hanh Van Pham
St. Philip the Apostle Church
3513 Cimarron Blvd.
Corpus Christi, Texas 78414

The author/student retains exclusive and unrestrictive copyright of this dissertation.

Ordinarius: Rev. Msgr. Leonard Pivonka, JCD
---------------------------------------Dean of Alice Deanery
---------------------------------------Pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary
---------------------------------------603 Fifth Street
---------------------------------------Alice, Texas 78333-1009

Proof Reader: Mr. Leo Mason
---------------------------------------Parishioner

all the priests, religious and laity who lovingly labor in Lord’s vineyard especially to the poorest of the poor. May they
clearly see Christ who is in disguise in
the person of the poor.

Thu and Huong Pham, my parents who instilled in me the steadfast faith and love in God and neighbor and their unwavering support in my priestly vocation.

This doctoral dissertation is humbly
-----------------------------------=and gratefully dedicated.

With heartfelt appreciation, I would like to thank the Most Reverend Bishop Edmund Carmody, bishop of Corpus Christi Diocese, for making it possible for me to continue my education while remaining in active ministry as the pastor of St. Philip the Apostle Church. May God grant you wisdom and strength as you guide the Lord’s flock.

I am grateful to my Ordinarius, Rev. Monsignor Leonard Pivonka, JCD – Dean of Alice, Pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, who graciously agreed to advise and guide me with my dissertation. He was my former pastor and an excellent mentor. It was a pleasure for me to serve as his assistant at the Corpus Christi Cathedral. I would like to thank my proof reader Mr. Leo Mason who spent countless hours proof reading and critiquing my work.

I am forever indebted to Cardinal John Baptist Pham Man the Archbishop of Saigon, Vietnam for his pastoral concern for the poor and less fortunate in society and for his willingness to share his thoughts and ideas with me. To the Sisters of Missionaries of Christ’s Charity, I would like to thank them for teaching and showing me the best way to love and serve the poorest of the poor, for their openness and willingness to share with me their wonderful ministry and inviting me to be part of their family. My hope is that one day I will be able work side by side with them on a permanent basis in this awesome ministry to the poorest of the poor.

I am eternally grateful to my parents, brothers and sisters who have always been there in the background praying and encouraging me in my ministry.

-----------------------------------------------BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Reverend Hanh Van Pham was born to Mr. & Mrs. Thu and Huong Pham on July 21, 1964 in Ben Da Vung Tau, South Vietnam. On April 30, 1975, Democratic South Vietnam fell to the Communist North Vietnamese, his family had to evacuate to the United States of America. After living in New Orleans for one year, his family moved to Garden Grove, California to reunite with his grandparents, aunts and uncles who were separated from them during the evacuation. He enrolled and studied at Jordan Junior High School and later graduated to Bolsa Grande High School. In August of 1980, his family relocated once more to Rockport, Texas. He continued his education at Rockport Fulton High School where he graduated in May of 1982. He stayed home one year to work and assist his mother when his father was unexpectedly killed in a car accident. In August of 1984, he moved to California to stay with his uncle and attended Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California. After a one year stint, he entered the seminary and resided at St. John Vianney House of Formation where he attended Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas. The following year he was transferred to St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston, Texas where he attended St. Thomas University. In 1987, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Thomas University. He continued to pursue his theological studies and earned a Master of Divinity degree from St. Mary’s Seminary, Houston, in May of 1992. On June 25, 1991, he was ordained a transitional deacon and seven months later on January 25, 1992, he was ordained to the priesthood at Corpus Christi Cathedral, Corpus Christi, Texas.
He was assigned as Parochial Vicar at Corpus Christi Cathedral from 1992-1994. In 1994 he was transferred to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Corpus Christi, where he served as Parochial Vicar until 1995. He was then transferred to Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church in Corpus Christi. After a short time there, he was transferred to St. Thomas More Church in 1996 where he served as pastor for six and a half years. It was during his time at St. Thomas More that he got in touch with his former fourth grade teacher sister Mary Frances Ha Thi Thanh Tinh, his adopted sister who was in Vietnam. Sister Mary Frances is the superior general of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity in Saigon, Vietnam. On August 2000, after twenty five years of being away from Vietnam, Fr. Hanh Pham and his mother returned to visit Vietnam and tour the missions of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity. Witnessing the sisters’ amazing and life-changing works among the poorest of the poor, Fr. Hanh Van Pham was so impressed with the sisters’ Missionaries works that he devotes most of his talent and treasure to help the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity with the hope that one day he will be able to give all of his time to work side by side with the sisters in their missions. He formed the co-workers of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity among the many Vietnamese who have a special love for the poorest of the poor. Although small in number, they were able to assist the sisters of the Missionaries of Christ Charity to expand their missions and increase their numbers of vocation. In 2002, Fr.. Hanh Van Pham was transferred to St. Philip the Apostle Church where he presently serves as pastor. In December of 2005, he enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry program at the Graduate Theological Foundation, Indiana. On September 25, 2007, he will present his dissertation to the Graduate Theological Foundation as a partial requirement for his Doctor of Ministry. He hopes to utilize the degree of Doctor of Ministry as key to open the once closed doors in Vietnam and enable him to do greater works among the sisters of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity and the poorest of the poor.

The world in which we are living in is home to billions of people. As a matter of fact, the population of the world reached 6.5 billion in 2005 and as of June 25, 2007, the world’s population has increased to 6,723,472,750. It is predicted that the world’s population should reach 7 billion in a couple of years. Ninety nine percent of that growth will have come from developing countries. Among the over six and a half billion population over three billion live in poverty. The majority of the three billion poor peoples are mostly concentrated among the developing countries. Through no faults of their own, the less fortunate people are simply born into a poor family or poor country, where opportunities to improve their lives are limited or non-existence. It is also reported that, “More than one-half of the world’s people live below the international defined poverty line of less than U.S. $2 a day.” This vast number of poor people represents almost fifty per cent of the world’s population. As desperate as this might appear, the more than half of the world’s poor mentioned here are still able to work and scrape out a living for themselves and their families. Within this incalculable figure of poor people, there exists an even poorer group of people who are in desperate need and who, without the assistance from good and generous people, will definitely perish. This group of desperate people is identified as the poorest of the poor.
The poorest of the poor consist of people who are poor in both the physical and spiritual sense. The poorest of the poor can be found in both developed and developing countries alike. However, they are more likely to congregate among the developing countries such as: India, China and Vietnam. For the most part, the heart of this dissertation will be focused on the poorest of the poor in Saigon, Vietnam. On the surface, it seems as though the world’s poor represents an enormous problem for all of us who have a special love for the poor and are in position to do something about it. Even if we are ankle deep in our pastoral ministry among the poor, we cannot help ourselves: “Are we doing enough?” “What more can we do concerning the world’s poor?” “What is the Church’s teaching on the poor?” “What is the best and most effective ways to minister to the poor?” “Is meeting and fulfilling the physical needs of the poor enough?” “What about the spiritual needs of the poor?”
These questions are indeed valid questions and should be asked. Although not all questions can be answered nor should they be, however, some proposed problems are resolved through the loving works of the many charitable organizations which specialize in helping the poor. However, some of the charitable organizations concentrate too much on their administration aspects. In order to have a well-oiled and well-functioning charitable organization, many of them require a big staff with a high overhead. Thus, when the charitable contributions are received, only a small percentage of the contribution reaches the hands of the poor and those who truly need it. The majority of the contributions are used to pay the salaries of the people in administration and management. When it is all said and done, the poor are still in dire need but the needed funds have been greatly depleted. Moreover, many charitable organizations condition the people to give according to seasons and situations instead of teaching the people to give as a way of life. Needless to say, these charitable organizations merely satisfy the small portion of the physical needs of the poor. The other aspect of the poor namely their spiritual needs are almost never or rarely mentioned or addressed.
This fact, however, does not mean that there are no charitable organizations in societies that emphasize the whole person both body and soul when it comes to ministering or helping the poor. Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity is a charitable congregation that ministers to the whole person, touching both body and soul. Her missionaries are usually found in the slums of over crowded cities including the city of Saigon in Vietnam. Saigon is considered to be one of the many over crowded cities in the world. Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity had a brief presence there. However, the communist government being fearful of the publicity which comes with Mother Teresa’s notoriety refused her permission to remain and to minister to the poorest of the poor in Vietnam. Although Mother Teresa’s missionaries’ presence in Saigon was brief, the seed of their charitable works have born much fruit and the fruit is the result of the newly formed congregation which lives the spirituality of Mother Teresa and imitates her works among the poorest of the poor. November 4,1993 when Mother Teresa arrived to the South of Vietnam, Archbishop Paul Nguyen Van Binh had retired from active ministry and Bishop Nicolas Huynh Van Nghi was in charge of the Archdiocese of Saigon as Apostolic Administrator for the being time. Mother Teresa had two intentions : one was to sponsor a few Vietnamese sisters to India for further training; the other was to open a house in Vietnam but both were denied. Thus, Mother Teresa decided to write a letter to Auxiliary Bishop Nicolas Huynh Van Nghi to form a community of Vietnamese sisters, which belongs to the Archdiocese of Saigon, under the title of Missionaries of Christ’s Charity.

The purpose of this dissertation is to show the inherent desire within all able people to help the poor, to point out that the most effective way to assist the poorest of the poor is to follow the spirituality of Mother Teresa, how the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity minister to the poorest of the poor in Saigon by imitating Mother Teresa’s method to touch the poorest of the poor both physically and spiritually, and to show how people in all walks of life can participate in this wonderful ministry among the poorest of the poor. Thus, the dissertation: (1.) reflects on the intrinsic desire of love in people for the poor; how society compartmentalizes the love for the poor into seasons: Thanksgiving and Christmas; and situations: hurricanes, storms, tidal waves and the radical love of Mother Teresa; (2.) dwells into Mother Teresa’s second call – a call within a call and her spirituality; (3.) expounds on the three evangelical vows of obedience, chastity and poverty and the fourth vow which highlights the apostolate of the Missionaries of Charity; (4.) reflects on Mother Teresa’s spirituality on silence, prayer, faith, love, service, peace, the Eucharist and her goal to quench Christ’s thirst; (5.) recounts her presence in Vietnam; (6.) looks at the formation of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity; (7.) focuses on the poorest of the poor in Saigon namely the pregnant teenagers, the orphans, the HIV/AIDS victims and the abandoned elderly; (8.) examines the plight of pregnant teenagers; (9.) reflects on the dilemma of the orphans; (10.) looks at the predicament of the HIV/AIDS victims; (11.) examines the challenge of the abandoned elderly; (12.) reflects on the possibility of establishing co-workers of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity. The intent of this dissertation is to encourage people to courageously live out the love which is inherent within each person and reach out to the less fortunate of society. There are many ways and methods to assist the poor but Mother Teresa’s spirituality of touching both the body and the soul proves to be more preferable and desirable. Although, each person has his/her own life to live and vocation to fulfill, it is still possible for any person to minister to the poorest of the poor according to the spirituality of Mother Teresa and remain faithful to his/her present vocation.

CHAPTER 1

The Natural Intrinsic Desire In The Human Person To Love

Society Compartmentalizes Love According To
Seasons And Situations

And The Call To Love Like Mother Teresa

INTRODUCTION

Love is a calling which is intrinsic to every human person. The evidence of this calling of love can be traced back to the book of Genesis where the author tells us that we are created by God and for God. Saint John the Evangelist reveals to us that God is love. Jesus further emphasizes the importance of the virtue of love when he says, “By this, all will know that you are my disciples that you love one another.” Jesus goes on to summarize the long list of commandments in the Torah into two commandments of love of God and neighbor. As humans, we are created to love and be loved. In God is the purest form of love but love in the human tends to be altered to fit our own wants and needs. Our humanistic love is often compartmentalized into seasonal and situational settings. Although it is praiseworthy when any kind of love is extended to the down trodden, love should not be reduced to what we do; but love is, and always will be, who we are. Thanks to the works and examples of Mother Teresa among the poorest of the poor, the virtue of love is once again restored to a personal level and as a way of life.

1.2 THE NATURAL INTRINSIC DESIRE IN HUMAN TO LOVE

Every human being is born with an intrinsic desire to love for as the author of Genesis writes, “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.” Although, we (man) were not created until the sixth day into God’s creative activity, yet we represent the climax of creation when God gives dominion and authority for us to care for the rest of creation. Love then is possible among all human beings. It is natural for us to love ourselves but when we express our love for others, especially the poor and less fortunate among us; we are truly reflecting the image of God in whom we were created. This love which we possess for ourselves and for others is further expounded upon by St. John when he exhorts, “Beloved let us love one another because love is God; everyone who loves is begotten of God and has knowledge of God. The man without love has known nothing of God, for God is love.” Love as we share in it testifies to the very nature of God and to his presence in our lives. We who love God show that we are children of God for God’s very being is love.
Love is the message Jesus emphasizes throughout his ministry while he was on earth. On the night before he dies, Jesus entrusts to his disciples a new commandment, “I give you a new commandment: Love one another. Such as my love has been for you, so must your love be for each other. This is how all will know you for my disciples: by your love for one another.” From this saying, we can safely surmise that when we love each other we are actually giving witness to God and signifying to the world that we are His followers and disciples. Jesus has made love and charity the distinguishing mark for his disciples. On another occasion when a lawyer in an attempt to trip up Jesus, asked him, “‘Teacher, which commandment of the law is the greatest?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
There was a popular story circulated among the Jewish Scholars to see who could stand on one foot and recite all the commandments without falling. Whoever succeeded would be considered great among the scholars. But it proved that none could do it. Originally, there were only Ten Commandments which were given to Moses on Mount Sinai. However, by the time Jesus made his appearance, the commandments and rules had increased to over six hundred major laws not including minor laws. Among the hundreds of major laws and commandments, Jesus has summed them up into two greatest commandments to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, mind, soul and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. In doing so, Christ has made the commandment of love of neighbor His personal commandment. Jesus further wills himself, His disciples to be the object of this love and charity saying, “I assure you, as often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for me.” The mission of love is given and entrusted to all people. While rejoicing at our given mission of love, we should see and hold it as an honor when we are called to minister to the poor, the sick, the suffering through our charitable works to alleviate all kinds of human needs.
While love is a natural inclination in all human beings, the Catholic Church has made love her characteristic mark. In the early days, the Church associated and connected love to the Eucharistic supper. In doing this the Church showed herself as the Body of Christ and Christ is the head united by the bond of charity and love. Throughout centuries, the Church has always claimed love and charitable works as its mission and right. Thus the works of mercy done for the poor and the less fortunate are held in special honor in the Church. The Church makes it an obligation for individuals and nations that are capable of assisting to love the poor and less fortunate by stating the following, “Wherever men are to be found who are in want of food and drink, of clothing, housing, medicine, work, education, the means necessary for leading a truly human life, wherever there are men racked with misfortune or illness, men suffering exile or imprisonment, Christian charity should go in search of them and find them out, comfort them with devoted care and give them the help that will fulfill their needs. This obligation binds first and foremost the more affluent individuals and nations.”

Today the Missionaries activities and works of charity have become much more urgent and worldwide. With the aid of modern technology and communication, the awareness of the need to assist the poor and less fortunate has never been higher. Works of charity should reach not only the local community but communities in all parts of the world. Although, people are conscious of the need to love and give, they are unknowingly conditioned by their societies and cultures to compartmentalize love according to seasons and situations. In the United States, we divide the year into seasons, not the natural seasons of spring, summer, fall and winter, but vacationing, working and giving seasons. Works of charity is also sorted out into situations in case of natural disasters such hurricanes, storms and tidal wave.
In the United States, the day after Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday season. This so called holiday season is also dubbed as a Giving Season. During this season, the chilled air brings out the carolers and mailboxes are full of Christmas and New Years’ cards. It is during this holiday season that America is at its most generous, monetary wise. Shoppers pack into malls, looking for the perfect gift for their loved ones. But the generosity during this season is not just essential and vital to the retail world; it is also a very important time for charities. This is the time when different charitable organizations are in the fund raising mode.
Giving at any time is praiseworthy and recommendable; however, we should not limit our generosity and works of charity to seasonal giving. Most local churches fall into this same trap and predicament. During this so call giving season, charitable groups in the local parish such as Works of Mercy and St. Vincent de Paul advertise their annual project of helping the poor families who are in need of Thanksgiving Dinners. Parishioners have a choice of giving a Thanksgiving turkey, dressing or a whole Thanksgiving dinner. Amazingly, the good-hearted parishioners rise to the occasion and fulfill the request of every needy family. Following Thanksgiving is the glorious Christmas celebration. The Works of Mercy and St. Vincent de Paul continue with their charitable works by following up with the giving tree to help the poor families who are in need of Christmas presents for their children. Each ornament on the giving tree represents a child of poor families who without this program would not have a Christmas gift. Remarkably, every last ornament is picked by the parishioners. Within days, the Christmas gifts arrive with the ornaments attached and addressed to the less fortunate children.
The charitable organizations in the local parish are affected by situational giving as well. Living in the Gulf Coast, the threat of a Hurricane making land-fall is a reality. It is not a mater of whether the hurricane will hit but when it will hit. Not more than a few years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and its surrounding neighbor cities. In our effort to reach out and help the victims of Katrina, all local parishes were urged to pick up a second collection to assist and help the victims. However, after the one time fundraiser, very little else was done to see whether the victims had resettled or not. The same can be said about tornado victims in the Mid-West, where a little town was completely wiped out by a cluster of tornadoes which ranked as high as an F5 in strength and destruction. A collection was encouraged to help the victims of the mid-west town but that was the last that we heard about it. A few years back, the coastal countries in East-Asia were devastated by the tsunami which resulted from the earthquake in the middle of the ocean. Countless numbers of people lost their lives and families were torn apart, not to mention the loss of property and memories; again, the people of the world poured out their hearts with their assistance. But it too was short-lived. While these works of charity are praiseworthy and commendable, our culture has unintentionally and inadvertently conditioned and trained the people of good will to give and do works of charity according to seasons and situations. Charity and love in all truth is neither seasonal nor situational. On the contrary, love is supposed to be personal. As human beings who are created in God’s loving image, works of charity and assistance for the poor should be a way of life.

Throughout the centuries, there have been numerous dedicated people who devoted their whole life to promote the need of ministering to the poor and in doing so raised it to a more celestial and divine way: people such as St. Francis of Assisi who after having awoken from a life of dissolute living, abandoned all earthly wealth to live with and among the poor; Albert Schweitzer, who after having heard the Gospel of Lazarus and the rich man, gave up his glittered life as a concert pianist in the Concert Hall of London, studied to become a medical doctor and moved to Africa to be one with the poor; the latest was Mother Teresa who became the champion of the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India and eventually the whole world. Her radical ways of ministering to the poorest of the poor are recognized and respected by most people. Mother Teresa’s works are rooted in the words of St. John, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory.” Reflecting on this scripture verse, Mother Teresa was able to clearly see the suffering Christ disguised in the persons of the poorest of the poor. She truly believed when serving the poorest of the poor she was touching Christ who was disguised in the persons of the poorest of the poor. Armed with this belief, she fearlessly and courageously embraced all poorest of the poor in society.

The first chapter provides a glimpse of the calling love which is intrinsic in each and every human being who was created by God in his image. We are capable of love as we are told by St. John that God is love. Love then is personal and relational. But society has a tendency to twist and compartmentalize love and works of charity into seasons such as a giving season and situations such as tragedies with hurricanes or storms. Any work of charity is always recommendable regardless of how or when it is done. However, we are called to raise and elevate this love of neighbor to a personal and relational level. In other words, we are called to elevate our love and charitable works to the level like that of Mother Teresa. What prompted and enabled Mother Teresa to love and serve the way she did? The next chapter will explore on Mother Teresa’s upbringing and training which molded her to become a sister of Loretto and her response to the call within the call to become the Missionaries of Charity who devoted her life to serve the poorest of the poor.

Mother Teresa’s Childhood,
Her Call To Become A Religious Sisters
The Call Within A Call To Be A Missionaries Of Charity
And Her Spirituality

While growing up, most children dream lofty dreams of becoming famous, striking it rich or saving the world. Mother Teresa’s only desire was to work among the poor for she was born a weak and sickly baby. Her goal as a teenager was very different from other children. Being born into a deeply religious family, Mother Teresa yearned to give herself to God as a religious sister. This chapter recalls Mother Teresa’s childhood, her upbringing, her vocational discernment and her call to become the sister of Loreto and her inspiration to work among the poorest of the poor. Even after dedicating her life to be a sister and teacher, she remained open to God’s call. One day while riding on a crowded bus, she received an inspiration and risked everything to follow this new calling which she wisely discerned as, “a call within a call.” Mother Teresa, in following her second call, had to face many difficulties and sacrifices. Yet she pushed on and faithfully followed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and left behind all that she ever knew. Little did she know that God would use her to make His name known all over the world. She was more than happy and willing to oblige.

This brilliant and shining Missionaries of God’s love was born on August 26, 1910 in Skopje, Yugoslavia (it is part of modern day Republic of Macedonia.) She was the youngest of three children born to Nikola and Drana Bojaxhiu. Like all good and faithful Catholics of the day, she was baptized as Gonxha Agnes. Gonxha was the nickname fondly given to her by her family which means “rosebud.” With her dedicated family infusing in her the love for Christ in the Eucharist, she received her First Communion at the age of five and a half. She continued her religious education and was confirmed on November 1916. From the very first day of her First Holy Communion, a love for souls was within her. Her happy and carefree life was cut short by her father’s sudden death at the age of eight. Nikola, her father, made his living by being a business assistant, building contractor and merchant. He was believed to be poisoned and died after he underwent surgery. Her family was thrown into dire financial straits. Hardships did not deter her mother Drana from raising her children in the Church. She was quite a seamstress and began a fine cloths sewing business for ladies. Her siblings were worried about not having enough but Gonxha Agnes thought that there were other ways of being rich. She was beginning to resemble her mother’s values more and more each day. When Gonxha got older, she attended public schools but Drana, with the help of the local pastor, made sure that she was well grounded in her Catholic faith. She attended daily mass and made annual pilgrimages to the Madonna of Letnice. Gonxha often thought of her father Nikola. He seemed strict but he had a big heart for the poor. He often sent the children out with food and money to give to the poor. As a child, Gonxha used to think that all the guests around the dinner table were relatives. Only later did she find out that they were people who just needed a decent meal. Her mother’s dedication made a great imprint and influence on her daughter’s character and vocation as well. Gonxha recalled on one occasion as she chatted with her mother, “Every one must think you are a saint.” Her mother looked at her in surprise and said, “The point of doing good is not to have people think well of you.” Her mother always had a soft spot for the less fortunate people when she took in six children whose mother had died. Years later, Gonxha observed that her family was full of joy and love and the children were happy and contented.

2.3 MOTHER TERESA’S CALL

Mrs. Drana Bojaxhiu often thought that her daughter Gonxha Agnes would not be with her for long. She would either lose her because of her poor health or she will give herself to God as a sister. Little did Mrs. Bojaxhiu know that she was being prophetic. When Gonxha Agnes was twelve, she told her mother about wanting to become a sister. Drana told her to put it out of her mind. Unknowingly, she was fostering Agnes’ religious vocation by insisting that she attended daily mass and prayed the rosary at home. Being deeply involved with the local parish with the assistance of the vibrant Jesuit pastor also helped Gonxha’s religious formation. The local pastor had a heart for the missions. He often preached on the topic, took up collections, passed out pamphlets and invited missionaries to come and give talks. Agnes was drawn to the Missionaries sister. She often pondered on the words of a visiting Missionaries, “Each person has a special road to follow, and one must follow that road.” Again, she consulted her mother. This time Drana encouraged her daughter by granting her blessing. She reminded her daughter, “Strive to live only and all for God and for Jesus Christ.” Agnes wanted to confirm her call by seeking advice from her confessor. He assured her, “You will know by your feelings, if the thought of being a sister and serving God and people makes you happy then you vocation is genuine…even if the road for you is difficult.” Indeed the road to become a Missionaries sister was difficult. Agnes had to leave her mother, brother, sister, friends and relatives. By the time she was eighteen, Agnes was convinced that God was calling her to be a Missionaries sister to serve the poor.

Since Gonxha Agnes wanted to be a Missionaries sister in India, she naturally applied to the congregation of the Sisters of Loreto because they had missionaries there. Before she could go there, she had to enter the communion of the motherhouse in Ireland. After a few months of training and preparation, Agnes was accepted into the novitiate on May 23, 1929. Like all the sisters who went before her, she had to choose a patron saint for her name and forsake her birth name. Agnes chose St. Theresa of the Child Jesus. Since one of the Loreto sisters already had a name Theresa, Agnes spelled her name Teresa. Under the guidance of a novice director, Sister Teresa learned about prayer. She would go to confession once a week. One of her many tasks was to teach the poor children for a couple of hours each day. Besides prayer and teaching, Sister Teresa had to learn English. On March 24, 1931, Sister Teresa made her first temporary vows which consisted of poverty, chastity and obedience. She would have to be in formation for another six years before making her final vow. In the meantime, she was sent to Calcutta to attend college for a teaching certificate. She would have never guessed what she would encounter there.
The college which Sister Teresa attended was outside the convent walls. On her way to the school, she could not help but come face to face with many poor people who lived in wretched existence. She felt compelled to do something for these poor people in Calcutta. On Sunday, Sister Teresa would often visit the slums where people fondly called her “Ma.” During the month of May of 1937, Sister Teresa made her perpetual vows. The Loreto Sisters have a tradition whereby when the sisters made their final vows they would no longer be called “sister” but “mother”. So Sister Teresa came to be called Mother Teresa. Not long after Mother Teresa made her final vow, she was appointed superior of St. Mary’s School and she was made principal a year later. Drana, her mother, wrote to congratulate her at the same time reminded her not to forget the purpose of her coming to India to work among the poor. Her mother’s words echoed what she was already feeling. As she roamed the streets, she wondered why she was teaching the well to do children when there were so many poor children who were in greater need. The idea began to take shape and in her heart of hearts she realized that God meant for her to serve the poorest of the poor.

In September of 1946, Mother Teresa was riding on a train to her annual retreat from Calcutta to Darjeeling. Even though the train was crowded with people and filled with noise, Mother Teresa clearly heard God’s voice speaks within her, “You must leave the convent to help the poor by living among them.” Mother Teresa attributed this calling as an “inspiration,” her “call within a call.” On that day, in a way Mother Teresa could never explain, Jesus’ thirst for love and for souls took hold of her heart and the desire to satiate his thirst became the driving force of her life. Over the course of the next several months, by means of visions, Jesus revealed to her the desire of His heart. Mother Teresa felt compelled to follow Jesus’ desire to establish a religious community, Missionaries of Charity, dedicated to the service of the poorest of the poor.
Mother Teresa confided with the archbishop of Calcutta. He quietly listened to her story and then leaned forward and said to Mother Teresa, “I would like to support you, Mother, but you know that Rome won’t grant permission for a new order if a similar one already exists.” The archbishop continued, “Did you ever consider transferring to the Daughters of St. Anne? They work with the poor.” Mother Teresa respectfully agreed with the archbishop that the sisters do wonderful work but she added, “But afterwards they return to their lovely convent. I would like to actually live with the poor and share their life.” Undeterred by challenge and obstacle, Mother Teresa continued to pray and sent the application to Rome. God did not disappoint her for she was granted Exclaustration by Pope Pius XII – even though she had not asked for it. Nearly two years of testing and discernment passed before Mother Teresa received permission to begin her society of Missionaries of Charity. One August 17, 1948, Mother Teresa exchanged her Loreto sister’s habit and dressed for the first time in a white, blue-bordered sari and passed through the gates of her beloved Loreto convent to enter the world of the poor. In her bag were only five rupees, the equivalent of about one dollar.

Gonxha Agnes grew up in a loving and faith-filled family. She was taught to love and serve God by her first church namely her family. Her belief was reinforced by her local church parish. In responding to God’s call, she became a sister of Loreto. Her life, she thought, had been clearly marked out for her, yet her heart was always opened and ready at God’s disposal. In the midst of chaos and noise, God called her the second time. Just as she had risked everything the first time, Mother Teresa did not hesitate to risk everything for God once again. Her love and trust in God has always been the hallmark of her life as a Missionaries of Charity. Obstacles and difficulties followed her but they could not deter her from faith and devotion in God. The next chapter will reflect on her spirituality which enabled her to do supernatural works among the poorest of the poor.

Mother Teresa’s Childhood,
Her Call To Become A Religious Sisters
The Call Within A Call To Be A Missionaries Of Charity
And Her Spirituality

In September of 1946, Mother Teresa was riding on a train to her annual retreat from Calcutta to Darjeeling. Even though the train was crowded with people and filled with noise, Mother Teresa clearly heard God’s voice speaks within her, “You must leave the convent to help the poor by living among them.” Mother Teresa attributed this calling as an “inspiration,” her “call within a call.” On that day, in a way Mother Teresa could never explain, Jesus’ thirst for love and for souls took hold of her heart and the desire to satiate his thirst became the driving force of her life. Over the course of the next several months, by means of visions, Jesus revealed to her the desire of His heart. Mother Teresa felt compelled to follow Jesus’ desire to establish a religious community, Missionaries of Charity, dedicated to the service of the poorest of the poor.
Mother Teresa confided with the archbishop of Calcutta. He quietly listened to her story and then leaned forward and said to Mother Teresa, “I would like to support you, Mother, but you know that Rome won’t grant permission for a new order if a similar one already exists.” The archbishop continued, “Did you ever consider transferring to the Daughters of St. Anne? They work with the poor.” Mother Teresa respectfully agreed with the archbishop that the sisters do wonderful work but she added, “But afterwards they return to their lovely convent. I would like to actually live with the poor and share their life.”Undeterred by challenge and obstacle, Mother Teresa continued to pray and sent the application to Rome. God did not disappoint her for she was granted Exclaustration by Pope Pius XII – even though she had not asked for it. Nearly two years of testing and discernment passed before Mother Teresa received permission to begin her society of Missionaries of Charity. One August 17, 1948, Mother Teresa exchanged her Loreto sister’s habit and dressed for the first time in a white, blue-bordered sari and passed through the gates of her beloved Loreto convent to enter the world of the poor. In her bag were only five rupees, the equivalent of about one dollar.

The Growth Of The Misisionaries Of Charity
Their Three Evangelical Vows
And
Their Special Fourth Vow

Like most congregations, Mother Teresa’s society began with a humble and modest beginning. Working as a lone sister, she started by visiting the poor, caring for their sick, cleaning their homes and washing their clothes. Her ministry began to spread. The little ripples of her charitable works began to make waves. Soon, the waves gathered strength to have a tidal effect that overwhelmed and drew many selfless women to work and live her spirituality. Volunteers, young and old, began to come and assist her in her work. Before long, Mother Teresa had a growing community that needed training, teaching and forming. Chapter three will show how Mother Teresa faithfully followed the directions given by the Church as stated in Canon Law. Her sisters professed the three evangelical vows plus the fourth vow to serve the poorest of the poor which indicates the special apostolate within the order.

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He teaches and encourages his disciples to live the evangelical counsels. The Church has always encouraged her faithful to live and practice the evangelical counsels; but the evangelical counsels are obligated for all those who live religious or consecrated life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church further explains why the evangelical counsels are obligations for those who embrace the consecrated life, “The perfection of charity, to which all the faithful are called, entails for those who freely follow the call to consecrated life the obligation of practicing chastity in celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom, poverty and obedience.”

The Code of Canon Law makes the evangelic counsels an obligation to which all religious must profess. Code 654 states. “By religious profession members assume by public vow the observance of three evangelical counsels, are consecrated to God through the ministry of the Church, and are incorporated into the institute with rights and duties defined by law.” Canons 654 through 658 of the Code of Canon Law regulate the vows of members of religious orders and congregations in the Roman Catholic Church. The vows are tempered by durations: temporary (short term) or final vows (permanent or perpetual). Under the Benedictine Rule, which is utilized by most monks and nuns, the vows are: obedience means to place oneself under the direction of the abbot/abbes; stability translates to committing oneself to a particular monastery; and conversion of life which includes the notion of stability. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the Franciscan and Dominicans put emphasis on mobility and flexibility by dropping the notion of “stability” and their vows became those of poverty, chastity and obedience.

Vows are professed in two varieties: temporary vows and perpetual vows. The highest level of commitment is exemplified by those who have taken their perpetual vows. Whether the vows are taken temporarily or perpetually, the three professed evangelical vows remain the same, namely chastity, poverty and obedience. Obedience means, “Those who are bound to religious vows willingly submit to the authority of their local ordinary, such as the head of an order, their local superior, abbot, abbess or bishop. In this, they emulate the obedience of Christ to His Father. For Christ was obedient unto death, death upon the cross. So too those who have chosen this way of life, cheerfully undertake their crosses under the guidance and direction of those lawfully appointed over them.” Obedience is the general submission which religious vow to God, and voluntarily promise to their superiors, in order to be directed by them in the ways of perfection according to the purpose and constitutions of their order or congregation.

The vow of chastity, within a religious life, means, “That one gives up marriage and the fruits it bears, for the kingdom of Heaven. A person can be fruitful, produce good works, and deeds in a manner different than in holy matrimony. Mind, body and spirit are directed away from pleasures, and fecundity of the material, to be open to that which is spiritual.”

The vow of poverty means, “Detaching oneself from material goods. Personal possession is surrendered and the person must learn to depend for his daily bread through the head of the community to which they are joined. This mirrors Jesus in his total dependency on the Father for his daily needs.” There is a twofold benefit to the vow of poverty. It allows for greater availability and freedom and it brings the person closer to the poorest of the poor. The faithful observance of the vow of poverty creates a condition of openness. It marks the person’s being, by making a place in their hearts for the needy and victims, thus making it possible to enter into solidarity with them. Mother Teresa further reflects, “Voluntary poverty such as that lived out by the Missionaries of Charity is a counsel – a prescription for living that the Church gives only to those seeking to live in perfect imitation of Jesus. But each person, Mother Teresa said, is called to live with less in order to have more to give.”

3.4 THE ADDITIONAL FOURTH VOW OF THE MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY TO SERVE THE POOREST OF THE POOR

Throughout the ages, orders and religious congregations professed the three basic vows, though some added a “fourth vow,” indicating some special apostolate or attitude within the order. Fully professed Jesuits take a vow of particular obedience to the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, to undertake any mission laid out in their Formula of the Institute. Centuries later, the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa are another example of this, in that she and her sisters take a fourth vow of special service to the poorest of the poor. “The Missionaries of Charity choose to live in poverty in order to help those who are poor. Thus the fourth vow which each Missionaries takes is to dedicate her life in giving herself wholeheartedly and totally to the poorest of the poor.” As the sisters of the Missionaries of Christ comment, “It is easy for us to do this, as our giving is voluntary. We live in the slums because we wish to, the poorest of the poor are forced to do so, and it is by serving them we serve Christ.”

Mother Teresa further elaborates on the fourth vow, voluntary poverty such as that lived out by her and her sisters is a counsel, a prescription for living that the Church gives only to those seeking to live in perfect imitation of Jesus. Since the beginning, starting with Mother Teresa, each of her Missionaries of Charity possess only a sari which was and still is worn by the poorest of the poor in India because of its cheap fabric, a pair of sandals, some undergarments, a crucifix which was always visible on her habit, a rosary which is always prayed when walking or traveling, a prayer book, an umbrella during monsoon season, a silver bucket for washing and bathing, and a thin bed. The sisters were forbidden, however, to own a fan despite the oppressive Indian summer’s heat.

In their poverty to serve the poorest of the poor, the Missionaries of Charity do not accept payment of any kind. They do no fund raising, even though, it was often suggested by good-hearted people. They refuse all government and Church assistance for their programs. In their self-imposed poverty, they lived day to day and hand to mouth, begging for food and sustenance, like the poor they served. Mother Teresa would often warn her sisters, “Beware of money and the desire for ease and comfort, for it will turn your heart from God.” She added, “One loses touch with God when one takes hold of money…Once the longing of money comes, the longing also comes for what money can give…Our needs will increase, for one thing leads to another, and the result will be endless dissatisfaction.” The Missionaries of Charity practice their life of poverty with the absolute faith in God’s divine providence that this will bring them closer to God. Like St. Francis, they live and work only through the generosity of others. They live what they teach in that they do not own any more than the poor they serve.

Mother Teresa taught and reminded her sisters to be a witness of penance. They were to take on the sins of others and offer them up as a way to co-suffer with Christ. They were to endure hardships and suffering on behalf of others. They should readily accept suffering so that others would not have to. Mother Teresa insisted that they be ready to take the place of the people who suffer and to take their sins and expiate them.

She further elaborated on the meaning of the need for each sister to suffer with and for the poor like Christ had willingly suffered for us, “Without suffering, our work would just be social work, very good and helpful, but it would not be the work of Jesus Christ, not part of Redemption. Jesus wanted to help by sharing our life, our loneliness, our agony, our death. Only by being one with us has he redeemed us. We are allowed to do the same; all the desolation of the poor people, not only their material poverty, but the spiritual destitution, must be redeemed, and we must share it, for only by being one with them can we redeem them, that is, by bringing God into their lives and bringing them to God.”

3.5 CONCLUSION

The Missionaries of Charity began with one frail and weak yet courageous sister, Mother Teresa. The love which she felt for the poorest of the poor was made visible through her actions. Her loving example drew many others to imitate her ways. With the blessed increase of members, the congregation needed structure and guidelines and it was provided by the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience. In the case of the Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, a fourth vow was added, a vow to serve the poorest of the poor. This fourth vow is permitted as long as it reflected the attitude of the congregation. When people questioned the fourth vow and her works among the poorest of the poor and complained that she spoiled the poor, Mother Teresa simply responded, “It is not so bad to have at least one congregation that spoils the poor, when everyone else spoils the rich. I am deeply impressed by the fact that before explaining the word of God, before presenting to the crowds the Eight Beatitudes, Jesus had compassion on them and gave them food. Only then did He begin to teach them.”

In her ministry to the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa came across many people who wanted to help and those who needed help. To get in touch or remain in contact, people would usually print business cards and have them available upon request. On one occasion a business man asked Mother Teresa for her business card. She had never had a business card printed, so she proceeded to print and carry business cards to give to those with whom she came in contact. Ordinarily, business cards contain information such as name, address, phone number and email address. Mother Teresa’s business card was unique and most unusual. It contained the following five lines:

These five lines on Mother Teresa’s business card clearly defined her goal and mission. In the eyes of the business people, the business card contains no useful information whatsoever. But not so to Mother Teresa, her business card provides full and complete information on how to reach God, not her. Mother Teresa hopes that through these five steps she will be able to quench Christ’s thirst in the persons of the poorest of the poor.

Mother Teresa did not have many secrets; but whatever secrets she possessed; she readily and freely shared them with others. “I will tell you my secrets,” she said, “my secret is a very simple one: I pray.” Prayer has always been the hallmark for all the saints. Mother Teresa honestly and candidly admitted, “I don’t think there is anyone who needs God’s help and grace as much as I do.” Reflecting on her small and petite physique, she proudly boasted the fact that she could not depend on her own strength. That is the reason why God used her. She was proud to say that she had a dependency on God twenty four hours a day. She went on to say that if the day has more hours then she would need His help and grace during those hours as well. She humbly admitted that, “Without prayer she could not work for even half an hour,” she continued, “I get my strength from God through prayer.” She implored her sisters and anyone who would care to listen to cling to God through prayer. As blood gives life to the body, so prayer gives life to the soul. It feeds the soul and brings the soul closer to God. At the same time, prayer cleanses and purifies the heart.

Living in a world that has become increasingly noisy, Mother Teresa always began her prayer with silence where she quieted herself and made herself present to God for God is always presents to us. She believed that it is in the silence of the heart that God speaks. In her prayer, Mother Teresa believed what God says to us is what mattered and not what we say to God. So we need to listen to God. We can listen only when we are silent. She further elaborated, “If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Then you will know that you are nothing. It is only when you realize your nothingness, your emptiness, that God can fill you with Himself.” In silence, new energy and unity will be achieved. Since our heart is often filled with worldly things, we cannot hear the voice of God. But once we learn to silence ourselves then our heart is filled with God. To achieve the true inner silence, Mother Teresa suggested the following spiritual exercises: silence of the eyes by seeking the beauty and goodness of God’s creations; silence of the ears by selectively listening to the voice of God and the cry of the poor and less fortunate; silence of the tongue by praising and thanking God for having enlightened and inspired us to peace, hope and love; silence of the mind by pondering on the truth and revelations of God revealed in the Scriptures; silence of the heart by loving God as He has loved us with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.

4.3 THE FRUIT OF PRAYER IS FAITH

Through her devout prayer life, Mother Teresa could clearly see God in creations such as nature and especially people. She humbly professed, “I have never for one moment doubted the existence of God but I know some people do.” She suggested letting Jesus use us without our consultation. We belong to Jesus so let Him take what He wants. This ardent faith allows Mother Teresa to live with a carefree attitude and it reflects in her ministry. The sole purpose of her Missionaries of Charity is to help the poorest of the poor in whom she always sees the Christ who is in disguise. She would not accept payment for her ministry not even one rupee. Everything she did was for Jesus. She believed if Jesus wants something to be done, He will give the means. If Jesus does not provide the means then He does not want that work done. What a wonderful childlike faith in God.

Mother Teresa went on to say that God is always with the Church. The Church gives ordained ministers in the person of the priest and the sacraments which nourish and give her strength to do her work. The Church, she insisted, is our larger family. In the family of the Missionaries of Charity, Christ is the head and He makes all the decisions. The Church of Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. By being faithful to God and the Church and living out our Christian life, we will grow in faith. There have been numerous saints who have gone before us and their shining examples are recounted for us to follow. But Mother Teresa had always liked the ones with simplicity of heart like St. Theresa of Lisieux, the Little Flower of Jesus. She chose her for her patron saint because she transformed her ordinary works by her extraordinary love. Another way of growing in faith is through studying of Scripture. As St. Jerome says, “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”

Through her inspiration which she received while riding on the train, Jesus had given her a mission of charity and by this love she and the Missionaries of Charity would make Jesus’ love known. By becoming poor the sisters would make the poor rich with the promises of divine life. Mother Teresa had a way to simplify the most complicated thing. “Everything,” she said, “depends on how we love each other.” Love is at the heart of sanctity and holiness. Love is what makes life worth living. She used to remind her sisters, “At the end of our lives, we will not be judged on what kind of cars we drove, how much money we made, or how many degrees we earned. At the end of our lives, we will be judged on love – on how well we put our love into living action.” Mother Teresa often used story telling to make a point. The first mission outside of India for the Missionaries of Charity was Venezuela. She did not ask for it but the land was given by a rich family from Cocorote to build an orphanage. On the occasion of her visitation to South America, she made a point to visit and thank the family. During her visit, she noticed their first born son was terribly disabled. She asked what the child’s name was. “Professor of Love,” the mother replied. She went on to explain that this sickly child has never ceased to teach them how to express love in action.

In her ministry to the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa had witnessed and experienced poverty in its worst conditions. However, this does not prevent her from seeing a different kind of poverty from the West. When she looked at the West, she saw neither tall buildings nor luxurious automobiles, neither progress nor prosperity; instead, she saw something that ordinary eyes would miss. She saw spreading poverty of the heart and spirit. We are smothered by our desire to accumulate possessions, our love of money and the things money can buy. Mother Teresa concluded that the greatest disease in the West today is not TB or AIDS but it is the feeling of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for. Physical ailments and diseases can be cured with medications and treatments but the only cure or treatment for loneliness, despair and hopelessness is love. Indeed, there are many poor in the world dying for a piece of bread and a glass of water but there are many in the West dying due to lack of love. Thus, the poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty. It is a spiritual poverty. There is a great hunger for love and for God.

The spiritual need of love can be met only by people who pray and have a deep spiritual life. Mother Teresa acknowledged that there is much suffering in the world. Material suffering is the kind of suffering from lack of food, shelter and sickness. But she still believed that the greatest suffering is being lonely, feeling unloved or just simply having no one to journey with in life. Mother Teresa came to the conclusion that being unwanted is the worst disease that any human can ever experience. This kind of need can only be met by people who are deeply spiritual. Before leaving for their apostolic works, the Missionaries of Charity would begin the day with the same prayer from the community prayer book.

“Dear Lord, The Great Healer, I kneel before you,
            Since every perfect gift must come from you.
            I pray, give skill to my hands, clear vision to my mind,
            kindness and meekness to my heart.
            Give me singleness of purpose, strength to lift
            up part of the burden of my suffering fellow men,
            and a true realization of the privilege that is mine.
            Take from my heart all guile and worldliness
            That with the simple faith of a child,
I may rely on you.”

For those who are often mistaken her work as social service works, Mother Teresa took the time to clarify her works and that of the social workers. She insisted, “We are not social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of some people, but we do it for Jesus.”
For Mother Teresa, her service to the poor is the result of her love in action and this love in action is possible only through prayer. She recounted the occasion when God called her to be a Missionaries of Charity, “I could not have been a Missionaries of Charity,” Mother Teresa told her sisters, “If I had passed by when I saw and smelt that woman who was eaten up by rat – her face, her legs. But I returned, picked her up and took her to the hospital. If I had not, the Society would have died. Feelings of repugnance are human but if I see the face of Jesus in his most distressing disguise, I will be holy.”

In order to show more of the fruits of love in action which is service, it is helpful to know the flavor of the work of the Missionaries of Charity. In the area of apostolic work, the sisters teach Sunday schools – catechism, lead bible study groups, visit hospitals, nursing homes and prisons. In medical care, the sisters run clinics for HIV/AIDS patients, homes for abandoned children and homes for the sick and dying destitute. In educational service, the sisters teach primary school in the slums. They also teach trades such as sewing, commercial and handicrafts. All these are done in response to Christ’s judgment of the nations:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did it for me.’” Matthew 25:31-40.

Mother Teresa reminded her sisters that while they lovingly help Christ in the poor; they are not merely performing a social service. Instead, they are doing it like contemplatives in the world. Not everyone agrees with Mother Teresa and her sisters’ way of helping the poor. When someone told her that what the sisters did was irrelevant, that they limited themselves to things that were little less then ordinary, Mother Teresa simply replied that even if her sisters helped only one person that would be enough reason for their work. One of her favorite and most famous response, which is often quoted by today’s Missionaries is, “God does not demand that I be successful. God demands that I be faithful. When facing God, results are not important. Faithfulness is what important.”

            Peace is what Jesus gives to the Apostles on that first Easter. We too are recipients of this peace through the Holy Spirit, given at our baptism and confirmation. The peace of Jesus is unlike the peace of this world. The peace of Christ is not about an absence of war and conflict but a peace which can only be given by Christ. Governments of the world spend hundred of billions of dollars annually to attain and maintain a temporary peace; yet it is futile, for wars and conflicts are rampant in most parts of the world. It is not worldly peace that Mother Teresa was after but the peace that Christ gives to the world. She believed the works done out of love were indeed works of peace. When love is shared with others, there exists a sense of peace among people. Wherever there is peace, there is God. Peace is God’s way of touching our lives and showing his love for us by pouring peace and joy into our hearts.

Peace, according to Mother Teresa, is a natural born right along with happiness. God has created us for this very purpose to be happy. Happiness and peace can be found only in God. On this topic of peace, Mother Teresa shrewdly borrowed from St. Francis of Assisi his popular prayer – Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace:
            Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
            Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
                        where there is injury, pardon;
                        where there is doubt, faith;
                        where there is darkness, light;
                        where there is sadness, joy.
            O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to
be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Mother Teresa reflected that her works of love are merely works for peace. She went on to elaborate Christ’s saying at the judgment of the nations from the gospel of St. Matthew: “I was hungry.” Here Jesus is hungry not for food but for the peace that comes from a pure heart. “I was thirsty.” Jesus does not only need water to quench his thirst but for peace that satiates the passionate thirst. “I was naked.” Jesus talks not only about needing clothes but also about the beautiful dignity of men and women. “I was homeless.” Jesus refers to not only for shelter made of bricks and stones but for the heart that cares in loving actions.

Mother Teresa concluded with one last message of peace and that is to love one another as God loves each one of us. Jesus came to preach to us the good news that God loves us and that He wants us to love one another. Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus went about healing, curing and feeding the sick and suffering, the hungry and thirsty. We too must follow Jesus’ example to tend to the poor and less fortunate in our midst. Hopefully when the time for us to die and go home to God again, it will be wonderful to hear God say to us, “Come and posses the Kingdom prepared for you because I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me. Whatever you did to the least of my brothers you did it to me.”

Growing up in a devout Catholic family, Mother Teresa was faithfully taught the Catechism of the Church, the love of the Eucharist and the devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. For Mother Teresa, a total commitment to Christ can only be through the Church, its teaching and dispensing from its altars of the Blessed Sacrament. All three synoptic Gospels recount the events of the Last Supper. Jesus chose the occasion of the Passover to give his disciples his Body and Blood.

“When the hour arrived, he took his place at table, and the apostles with him. He said to them: ‘I have greatly desire to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. I tell you, I will not eat again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ Then taking a cup he offered a blessing in thanks and said: ‘Take this and divide it among you; I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the coming of the reign of God.’ Then, taking bread and giving thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying: ‘This is my body to be given for you. Do this as a remembrance of me.” He did the same with the cup after eating, saying as he did so: ‘This is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.”

Thus, each day Mother Teresa and her sisters meet Jesus; first at Mass where they derive sustenance and strength; then in each anguish and suffering soul they tend to or care for. The day begins for Mother Teresa and her sisters with prayers and meditation at 4:30 am, followed by Mass. Mother Teresa attributed all the Missionaries of Charity is able to do what they do, commit themselves to Christ with undivided heart of chastity, through the perfect freedom of poverty, in selfless obedience and in total service to the poorest of the poor, to the Eucharist. Mother Teresa confidently prophesized, “I am convinced that as long as the Sisters are faithful to poverty and the Eucharist, and also to the poor, the Congregation will not run into any danger.”

Catholicism, according to Mother Teresa, has always been a religion of the God who hides in human form. His face is the face of our neighbors. He reveals himself in humble things and people such as a glass of water for the thirsty, a piece of bread for the hungry. Catholics believe that by the mystery of the Incarnation, Christ has forever joined himself to every human being who was born, is born or yet to be born. Mother Teresa continued to reflect on the beautiful opening chapter of the Fourth Gospel: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.” The Christian story is simply and endless presentation of this process of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling gracefully and truthfully among us.”
To put this in practical terms, Jesus is present in everyone we meet whether young or old, rich or poor. Thus in the poor, there is a special presence of Jesus. The Eucharist is the sacrament that clearly revealed to us the most visible presence of Christ. In the Eucharist, Jesus gives His life to us in His ultimate sacrifice. Here, Jesus shows us His love. In the poor, Jesus waits for us to give our lives to Him, to show how much we love Him. Mother Teresa explained there is an intricate connection between the presence of Jesus and the presence of Jesus in the persons of the poor, “In Holy Communion we have Christ under the appearance of bread. In our work, we find him under the appearance of flesh and blood.” There is but one and the same Jesus at the altar of praise and in the persons of the poorest of the poor in the slums.

Throughout the centuries, there have been countless saints who have gone before us and expounded on the miracle of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist and the mystery of Christ’s presence in the poor. Not often the saints connected the two. But Mother Teresa in her simple and humble way had made the connection between the two. “For her, our failure to see Christ in the beggar was a sign that we had lost our ability to find Him in the Eucharist…He comes in the rotting bodies of the poor…Jesus comes to you and me. And often, we pass by Him.”
In the beginning, the Eucharist was intended: first, to create a communion between God and His people; second, to create unity within the body of Christ in sharing and giving between rich and poor. Mother Teresa wanted to reawaken us to the original intent of the Eucharist, to start living the Mass, to see the Eucharist as the sacrament of love between the Creator and His creatures and sharing our lives with each other and to find Jesus’ presence in the consecrated host and in the poor and suffering on the streets.

Mother Teresa put great emphasis on the devotion of the Eucharist because Jesus dwells in the form of bread and wine to meet and satisfy our desire and love for him. This is why Mother Teresa and her sisters need to be closely linked to the Eucharist. They begin their day with the holy mass and communion. At the end of a long day after serving and caring for Jesus in the persons of the poor, they conclude the day with holy adoration which unites them with Jesus and with the poor in whom they minister to. This is what makes them contemplatives in the heart of the world; for they are twenty four hours then in Jesus’ presence: at mass, in the hungry, naked, homeless, unwanted, unloved and uncared for.
The life of contemplation must contain the following characteristics: “Being missionaries: by going out physically or in spirit in search of souls all over the world; being contemplatives: by gathering the whole world at the very center of our hearts where the Lord abides; being universal: by praying and contemplating with all and for all, especially with and for the spiritually of the poorest of the poor.”

Jesus in his great love and immense desire to save us willingly suffered on the Cross. While suspending between heaven and earth and enduring the agony of the Cross, Jesus uttered seven last sayings. “I thirst,” is considered as one of the seven last words of Christ while dying on the Cross. To the unbeliever, they are probably mistakenly seen as a cry for water for a person who loosed a lot of blood and was often dehydrated. A thirsty person would naturally want water to drink. But to believers, the saying has a much deeper meaning. Archbishop Fulton Sheen eloquently expounded on this saying, “At the moment when Our Savior resumes His sermon, it is not a curse upon those who crucify Him, not a word of reproach to the timid disciples at the border of the crowd, not a cry of scorn to the Roman soldiers, not a word of hope to Magdalene, not a word of love to John, not a word of farewell to His beloved mother. It not even to God at this moment! Out of the depths of the Sacred Heart there wells through parched lips one awful word: “I thirst!” Christ who dies on the Cross for love has exhausted Himself. There is nothing more that Christ could do. Having poured all of his water of everlasting love, Jesus cries out for love of us.

When Mother Teresa read this word from St. John, she understood Jesus is parched with thirst in the persons of the poor. She felt the need to satiate Christ’s thirst. Mother Teresa readily admitted that this saying of Jesus is what defined her mission. Mother Teresa used the saying, “I thirst!” as a battle cry for the formation and existence of the Missionaries of Charity when she said, “For me it is so clear – everything in the Missionaries of Charity exists only to satiate Jesus.” In all the chapels where the Missionaries of Charity pray and worship, one of the walls would bear the inscription of the call of our Lord, “I thirst!” “In Yemen, “I thirst,” in English and Arabic. In Gaza, “I thirst,” in English and Hebrew. In Rome, “I thirst,” in English and Italian. In every house of ours, you enter the chapel and you see, “I thirst!” It is the call of Jesus. We exist to console Jesus, to quench His thirst for love. It is our function, our aim.

The many works which the Missionaries of Charity performs to satiate Jesus’ thirst are the direct testament to the spirituality of Mother Teresa: silence, prayer, faith, love, service and peace. Her spiritual insight that leads to the connection between presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the poor enables her to embrace the poorest of the poor that most people would avoid or feel repulsed by. Even with all the wonderful service she offers for the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa still feels her love for God is inadequate comparing to God’s love for her. This sentiment is reflected in one of her favorite devotional song Only a Shadow:
The love I have for you, my Lord
Is only a shadow of your love for me,
Your deep abiding love.
My own belief in you, my Lord
Is only a shadow of your faith in me,
Your deep and trusting faith.
My life is in your hands.
My love for you will grow, my Lord.
Your light in me will shine.
The dream I have today, my Lord,
Is only a shadow of your dream for me,
If I but follow you.
The joy I feel today, my Lord,
Is only a shadow of your joys for me,
Only a shadow of all that will be
When we meet face to face.

The feeling of the need to respond to God’s love increases Mother Teresa’s desire to quench Christ’s thirst. Mother Teresa’s goal to quench Christ’s thirst might start in Calcutta but that desire has overflowed Calcutta to countries all over the world. The next chapter will highlight Mother Teresa’s presence in Vietnam.

Mother Teresa’s ministry among the poorest of the poor has firmly taken its root in Calcutta. Some bishops in neighboring dioceses have either witnessed her works personally or by referral requested Mother Teresa to establish houses in their dioceses. This is not only true in India but also in many countries of the world. The first country Mother Teresa ventured to outside the walls of Calcutta was Venezuela. To her surprise the Holy Father invited her to open a house in Rome. This invitation excited Mother Teresa more than most. Gradually, the Missionaries of Charity were invited to Australia. She even sent the sisters to the Middle East to Asia such as China and Vietnam. This brief chapter will focus mainly on Mother Teresa’s invitation to Vietnam, the arrival of the Missionaries of Charity, the leave taking in 1975 and the eventual return of the Missionaries of Charity.

5.2 BEYOND CALCUTTA

According to Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity, Calcutta was their Jerusalem. Even with all its poverty and despair, Calcutta was the starting point for their apostolate. The seed of charity was planted there and the roots had taken a firm hold but the tree was to spread its branches and bear fruit in many parts of the world. Their Constitutions obligated them to bring the Good News to the poorest of the poor. This is the sign that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Once, Mother Teresa was asked, “Why do you go abroad? Don’t you have enough poor in India?” So she answered, “Jesus told us to go and preach to all the nations. That is why we go to all over the world and preach His love and compassion.” The first invitation beyond the wall of Calcutta was from the bishop in Venezuela. Mother Teresa was so thrilled that she promised to send the best of sisters to start the first foundation in Latin America. Mother Teresa had hoped to draw vocation from within the country itself, so that from Venezuela they could move into neighboring countries in South America.
Mother Teresa was not easily impressed by people for everything she did was out of love for God. But she was thrilled when the Holy Father extended an invitation for her Missionaries of Charity to open a house in Rome. However, after spending some time reflecting on this invitation, she saw it as a sacred duty imposed by the Holy Father, who had befriended the community. With renewed courage, Mother Teresa and her sisters ventured into hostile territory of the Middle East. But she did not see it as a deterrent; instead, she looked at it as an opportunity to tread on the land where our Lord has once treaded, preached and worked miracles. Christianity, reflected Mother Teresa, started from Jerusalem and had spread to every corner of the world. It is only natural now that the Christian faith returned to its source.

Having reached Jerusalem, Mother Teresa set her eyes on Asia, namely China and Vietnam. In March 1994, Mother Teresa set out for China in secret. She did not want publicity to jeopardize her mission. When she was in China someone asked her, “What is a communist to you?” Mother Teresa said, “A child of God, my brother, my sister.” She went on to explain, “And exactly that is what you and I are meant to be, brothers and sisters. If we have the joy of seeing God in each other, we will love one another. That’s why no color, no religion, no nationality should come between us for we are all the children of the same loving hand of God.” But her mission proved to be unsuccessful when China failed in its bid to host the Olympic Games; the government became less open to Mother Teresa and her mission. China was the primary objective for Mother Teresa and still is the main priority for the Missionaries of Charity today.

Although Mother Teresa’s focus was in China, she has already made her presence felt in Vietnam. In the early months of 1972, Archbishop Paul Nguyen Van Binh who was the archbishop of Saigon at the time extended an invitation to Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity to come to Vietnam and minister to the poorest of the poor in Saigon. On July 1972, Mother Teresa sent seven brothers of the Missionaries of Charity from India to Vietnam. Accompanied them was Father Andre who led the way. Archbishop Paul Binh purchased two homes on Cong Quynh Street for the brothers of Missionaries of Charity to reside in. Almost immediately, the brothers started their ministry to the homeless, the sick and suffering whom they found on street corners. Unfortunately on April 30, 1975, the Democratic South Vietnam fell into the hands of the Communist North Vietnam. Subsequently, fearing for their own safety, the brothers of the Missionaries of Charity had to flee Vietnam to Hong Kong.
The changing of the political face of Vietnam could not stem or tamper the flame of love Archbishop Paul Binh felt for the mission of Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity. Patiently waiting until the political dust settled in Vietnam, Archbishop Paul Binh formed a group which made up of women with medical skills to continue the ministry of serving the poorest of the poor according to the spirituality of Mother Teresa. They would hold monthly or quarterly meeting to pray, read from the Constitution of the Missionaries of Charity and discuss their pastoral work among the poorest of the poor. They silently worked in the hospital to tend to the sick and dying. They secretly took communion to the sick and shut in. To those who could not afford to be in the hospital due to the desperate conditions after the war, the women anonymously gave out of their own pocket to buy medications for the sick.
In 1979, the close-knit group of women was officially formed and recognized as a religious society with about 20 members. Archbishop Binh was present when he received the vows of two sisters who vowed to minister to the poorest of the poor according to the spirituality of Mother Teresa. These two sisters are Sister Mary Frances Ha Thi Thanh Tinh and Sister Edward Doan Thi Bach Hao. These two sisters were originally from the sisters of Nazareth, today they are known as Servants of Christ’s Priesthood. Archbishop Paul Binh had intended that when opportunity presented itself, he would have them join the Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. Archbishop Paul Binh wrote to Mother Teresa in Calcutta asking her to accept the 20 sisters into her society. Mother Teresa asked Archbishop Paul Binh to wait until she could come to Vietnam. It wasn’t until 1991 that Mother Teresa was granted a visa to come to Vietnam. However, she could not visit Saigon but only Hanoi (Capital of North Vietnam). Her trip proved productive for the North Vietnamese Government met with her and allowed her and her sisters to come to minister to the poor in North Vietnam. Two years went by before Mother Teresa could return to Vietnam. On the 5th of November of 1993, Mother Teresa came to Vietnam for a second time. Similar to the time when she went to China without fanfare, Mother Teresa came to Vietnam in secret. This time she was allowed to come to Saigon. Accompanying her were Sister Nirmala (Present day Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity) and Dr. Janette. Since she came in secret, nobody was there to greet her at the airport except for a consullate from India whose office is located in HCMC. The reason he was the only one there because no one else knew of Mother Teresa’s arrival to Vietnam except for his wife who told him about it. The consulate then informed his vietnamese secretary whose name is Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga to go to the airport with him. They took Mother Teresa to Doc Lap Hotel. Once she arrived at the Hotel, Mother Teresa handed him a note containing the name and address of Sister Mary Frances Ha Thi Thanh Tinh. She asked the consulate’s secretary Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga to find Sister Mary Frances Tinh and Sister Edward Hao to come and meet her at the hotel. Once sisters Mary Frances and Edouard arrived, Mother Teresa had a long conversation with them and told them how she wanted to come to Vietnam sooner but could not because of the instability within the country. After the meeting, Mother Teresa requested a meeting with Archbishop Paul Binh. However, he was not home at the time for he was resting in Vung Tau. Father John Baptist Huynh Cong Minh, the general vicar notified the Archbishop and he agreed to meet with her on the 7th of November.
Prior to her meeting with Archbishop Paul Binh, Mother Teresa and Sister Nirmala, who succeeded Mother Teresa as superior general, came to visit the 20 sisters who resided at 428 Huynh Van Banh, Ward 14, Phu Nhuan District. Mother Teresa joined the sisters in their daily Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. After adoration hour was over, Mother Teresa presided over the ceremony of giving the Constitution of the Missionaries of Charity, prayer books and rosaries to the 20 Vietnamese sisters. All 20 Vietnamese sisters were accepted into the Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa also announced the good news about how the immigration office had granted permission to eight sisters of the Missionaries of Charity to work among the handicapped and orphans in Vietnam. During their visit to Vietnam, Mother Teresa and Sister Nirmala spent most of their time with the 20 Vietnamese sisters to visit and dine with them.
The eight sisters of the Missionaries of Charity from India were divided into two groups. One group ministered in Hanoi and the other in Saigon. The four sisters in Saigon assisted at the orphanage at 38 Tu Xuong, District 3, Saigon. These sisters’ names were: Srs. Joya, Mary Lourdes, Brenda and Gloriana. They would come by and visit the 20 Vietnamese sisters at 428 Huynh Van Banh every Thursday to socialize with

them. The Vietnamese sisters treated them to Vietnamese food as it was the only food available. The sisters from India seemed to like it; at least they did not complain. The other fours sisters from India worked with the handicapped children at Thuy An, Ba Vi District, Hanoi. The sisters’ names were: Srs. Collete, Lee Foong, Desiree and Homini. In accordance with the agreement, Mother Teresa requested the Vietnamese Government to provide a priest to offer daily Eucharist at least four times a week. But due to the shortage of priests, the government could not find any priest to offer daily mass for the sisters. The government; however, would try to accommodate the sisters by having a driver to take the sisters to Hung Hoa Parish but it was far in between. Mother Teresa expressed concerns about the lack of spiritual sustenance for the sisters.
She proceeded to ask the government for permission to open a house at 428 Huynh Van Banh, Ward 14, Phu Nhuan District, Hochiminh City by sending a letter to the Secretary of Religious Affairs in Hanoi. Mother Teresa also requested the government to recognize the 20 Vietnamese sisters as aspirants of her congregation. She asked permission for 7 Vietnamese sisters to leave for India where they could further participate in the formation of the Missionaries of Charity.
Surprisingly, the government which once receptive not only did they refuse Mother Teresa’s request to move the house at 428 Huynh Van Banh but also demanded Mother Teresa and the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity leave Vietnam immediately. Without any sign or explanation given, the Vietnamese government expelled Mother Teresa and her sisters from Vietnam. Having served the poorest of the poor in Vietnam for 20 months, Mother Teresa did not want to give up without a fight. On December 20 1995, Mother Teresa and Sister Nirmala flew to Hanoi to meet with government officials and request permission to stay. But the government did not sway from their previous decision. With a broken heart, Mother Teresa had to leave Vietnam. She and her sisters departed from Vietnam to India on December 23, 1995. A month prior, the government in China also refused to extend the visas for the Missionaries of Chariry to remain and minister in China. Perhaps, it was a mere coincidence that the government of Vietnam also did the same. Before leaving, Mother Teresa consoled the 20 Vietnamese sisters that perhaps it was God’s will. She added, “The seeds have been sown and one day you will reap the fruits.” In May, 1996 Mother Teresa sent a letter to the Bishop Nicolas Huynh Van Nghi (Apostolic Administraror) soliciting him to form a congregation for the Vietnam sisters which was belong to the Archdiocese of Sai Gon. Bishop Nicolas Huynh Van Nghi along with Mother Teresa gave the Vietnamese sisters a new name. They were to be called the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity.

Responding to the calling of Jesus in the Gospel to spread the good news to the ends of the world, Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity saw Calcutta as their Jerusalem from where their ministry would flourish. From Calcutta, the Missionaries of Charity branched out to Venezuela, North America, Rome, Middle East, and Asia. Although, not all of her dreams were realized, the seeds of her ministry to serve the poorest of the poor were sown and awaiting the rain of grace to sprout up at the proper time. Vietnam was one of the many countries which benefited from Mother Teresa’s presence and ministry. Not wanting to leave the 20 Vietnamese sisters orphaned, Mother Teresa asked Bishop Nicolas Huynh Van Nghi (administrator of the Archdiocese of Saigon). Mother Teresa gave them her blessing to live according to her spirit. The Bishop Nicolas and Mother Teresa, they gave the Vietnamese sisters a new name which is known today as the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity. Renewed in the spirit of Mother Teresa, the 20 Vietnamese sisters proudly bore the name as Missionaries of Christ’s Charity. They went about searching and serving the poorest of the poor wherever they are found. The next chapter will dwell into the formation of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity in Saigon, Vietnam.

The Formation Of The Missionaries
Of Christ’s Charity In Saigon,
Vietnam

Having met Mother Teresa in person, witnessed her saintly manner and briefly worked with her and the Missionaries of Charity, the 20 Vietnamese sisters bravely and proudly bore the new name given to them by Mother Teresa and Bishop Nicolas Huynh Van Nghi as Missionaries of Christ’s Charity. They closely followed the spirituality of Mother Teresa in their prayer life such as attending the daily Eucharist, spending quiet time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and joining other sisters in their community praising God in their daily prayer. With the blessings given by Mother Teresa and Archbishop Paul Binh, they went about ministering to the poorest of the poor. Like Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity, the newly formed Missionaries of Christ’s Charity enjoyed success in the so many different ways from the increasing in number of vocations to the increasing number of missions. Responding to the invitations extended by bishops of the neighboring dioceses, they expanded their missions throughout South Vietnam. In 2006, Mother Nirmala who succeeded Mother Teresa as superior general of the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta came to Vietnam with the intention of incorporating the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity into one family with the Missionaries of Charity. Having personally witnessed the growth of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity, Mother Nirmala had a change of heart. Along with Cardinal John Baptist Pham Minh Man, they filed a petition in Rome to recognize the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity as a congregation of the Holy Roman Catholic Church with Sister Mary Frances Ha Thi Thanh Tinh as superior general of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity.

Between the years 1993 to 1995, Mother Teresa visited Saigon 5 times. She had expressed great desire to open houses in Vietnam and China. This explained why Mother Teresa spent the majority of her time in Vietnam and China near the end of her life. Unfortunately, the Communists in Vietnam and China threatened by her notoriety adamantly refused her permission to work in their countries. Nonetheless, the two short years which she spent in Vietnam proved to be very fruitful. During the 5 visits, Sister Nirmala who succeeded Mother Teresa was in charge of teaching the Constitutions and training the Vietnamese Sisters every Thursday and Sunday. Well trained and armed with the Constitution of the Missionaries of Charity, the Vietnamese sisters of Missionaries of Christ’s Charity were ready to live the spirituality and imitate the works of Mother Teresa both in their prayers and in their works. The Missionaries of Christ’s Charity, however, have always hoped of being incorporated into the family of the Missionaries of Charity.

Following the spirituality of Mother Teresa, the sisters of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity began with the daily Eucharist at 4:30 a.m. at the local parishes. Drawing the needed strength from the Eucharist, the sisters believed Christ who humbly dwells in the form of bread and wine will nourish them and give them the necessary courage and dedication to serve and minister to the poorest of the poor. Following the Mass, the sisters spent an hour and a half praying with the community of the Office of the Hours (the official prayers of the church for all clergy and religious) to strengthen their bond and unity. After having fed their souls, the sisters ate a quick breakfast which was customary to the Vietnamese culture namely steamed rice. They went out in search of the poorest of the poor such as pregnant teenagers at abortion clinics and hospital, the orphans on streets corners, the HIV/AIDS in the slums or the abandoned elderly in the alleys. Upon encountering them, the sisters would take them home where they have a roof over their heads and warm food in their stomachs. After a long and laborious day of work, the sisters spent hours in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament to pray, praise and give thanks to God. They had to rest early due to darkness for lack of electricity only to get up the next morning at 4:30 and faithfully minister to the poor all over again.

6.4 THE BLESSED INCREASE IN NUMBER

The Missionaries of Christ’s Charity do not advertise for vocations. They believe their good works are the best method for recruiting vocations to religious life. The conditions or requirements are simple. The candidates have to be between the ages of 18 to 25 and have a High School education. The candidates must have a special love for the Eucharist and Blessed Sacrament, freely embrace the life of poverty and selflessly serve the poorest of the poor. In order to better the service to the sick and suffering, candidates must be willing to study in the medical field to become registered nurses. If the candidates feel called to become Missionaries of Christ’s Charity, they must return home to make a novena to the Holy Spirit. After the nine days of praying and fasting, if they still feel called to serve the poorest of the poor then they can come back to join the congregation. The charism of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity is as follow:
- A special love for Jesus in the Eucharist
- Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament
- Tend to the abandoned, homeless, and dying
- Welcome the pregnant teenagers
- Protect the children born and unborn
- Bring communion to the sick and shut-in
- Care for the HIV/AIDS victims

Starting with 20 sisters less then 20 years ago, the congregation of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity has been blessed with 68 professed sisters, 20 novices and 43 Postulates. The number could be higher but due to the lack of room and board and the finances to adequately provide for the numerous candidates, the congregation can only accept a selected few.

Following in the footsteps of Mother Teresa, its spiritual founder, the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity shared a humble beginning in a little home on 428 Huynh Van Banh, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Since then, it has extended out to 7 other dioceses in Vietnam with numerous Missionaries posts:
- Saigon Diocese: A Mother House; one orphanage for boys; one orphanage for girls; two Mother’s Love homes for pregnant teenagers and young mothers; one school to erase illiteracy for poor children in Hoc Mon; and one Montessori to help poor families in Tan Qui.
- Ba Ria Diocese: one mission in Long Dien Parish to teach catechism and bring communion to the sick and shut-in; and one mission in Hai Lam parish to assist the abandoned elderly, the destitute and the dying.
- My Tho Diocese: one mission in Tram Chim to dispense medication for the sick and suffering.
- Phu Cuong Diocese: one mission to assist the abandoned elderly, the destitute and the dying; and one Mother’s Love home to help the pregnant teenagers.
- Long Xuyen Diocese: two missions in Soc Son Hon Dat, one to erase illiteracy and one to dispense food and water to the poor.
- Buon Ma Thuot Diocese: one mission at Dakmil to assist the run away and dust of life children.
- Phan Thiet Diocese : a mission at Vo Dat for expens medication; and teach catechism and bring communion to the sick and shut-in.
- Nice Diocese in France: one mission to help and feed the homeless; and one mission to assist the chancery.
- Corpus Christi Diocese in USA : one mission at St. Philip The Apostle parish to teach catechism and visit the elderly in the Housing Home.
- Mercy Center: one mission consists of 12 registered nurse sisters to minister to the HIV/AIDS victims.

Blessed with God’s grace coupled with the intercession of Blessed Mother Teresa, the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity has branched out further and faster then they had ever imagined. This perhaps is truly the work of the Holy Spirit.

6.6 MOTHER NIRMALA’S VISIT AND THE REQUEST TO ROME FOR OFFICIAL RECOGNITION AS A CONGREGATION OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

In June of 2006, Mother Nirmala, superior general of the Missionaries of Charity and her assistant superior general came to Vietnam to visit the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity with the intention of incorporating the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity into Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. Mother Nirmala was utterly amazed at the growth and development of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity in Saigon, Vietnam. She could not believe that within the time span of 10 years under the

Communist’s regime, the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity has flourished from 2 missions to 20 missions. Mother Nirmala confided with the Vietnamese sisters, “Prior coming to Vietnam, the council of the Missionaries of Charity had met and agreed to incorporate the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity into Mother Teresa’s congregation. But after arriving in Vietnam and personally witnessed the growth, we have to admit this must be the work of the Holy Spirit functioning through the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity. Thus, we do not want to abolish the name of Missionaries of Christ’s Charity.” Mother Nirmala had said as much to Cardinal John Baptist Pham Minh Man and he wisely concurred. However, he wanted to continue sending the sisters from Saigon to Calcutta to be trained by the Missionaries of Charity. The name Missionaries of Christ’s Charity shall remain the same, but the Vietnamese sisters would be considered as members of the larger family of the Missionaries of Charity. Mother Nirmala was more than happy to accept and agree with Cardinal John Baptist’s suggestion. With the agreement of Mother Nirmala, Cardinal John Baptist Pham Minh Man filed an application in Rome requesting the Holy Father to grant recognition to the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity as a congregation of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

Trusting in God’s providence, Mother Teresa came to Vietnam hoping to spread the seed of hope and love among the poorest of the poor. Although, her ministry was cut short, the seed of hope and love was planted by the sisters of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity. Imitating the spirituality the Mother Teresa, the sisters of Missionaries of Christ’s Charity experienced some blessed increase in numbers and missions. The expansion was so impressive and Mother Nirmala recognized it was the work of the Holy Spirit. Trusting in the persuasion of the Holy Spirit, the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity bravely embraced their works among the poorest of the poor especially in Saigon. The next chapter will expound on the works of the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity among the poorest of the poor within the City of Saigon.