The Missionaries of Charity in Delhi

During the course of one of our many days of wandering through Delhi, we stumbled upon the Missionaries of Charity in Delhi. They were founded in Kolkata in 1950 by Mother Teresa to “give wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor” children of Delhi. Now they have homes to help children all over the world. In Delhi, when we visited, there were almost 75 children being cared for by the nuns. Many abandoned children are dropped off at the neighboring Delhi Council for Child Welfare, and then turned over to the Sisters. The children are aged up to six years old. Families adopt them, mostly from within India. The sisters provide love, healthcare, early education, and the countless other elements that allow children to feel safe, respected, and cherished.

We met with the head sister, who generously shared some stories about the current work of the project and of the life of their Mother. “She asked for nothing her whole life,” the head sister told us. “She had faith that God would hear her prayers and give her what she needed to care for the children.”

Now, more than 50 years later, the venerable Convent is known all over the world. Before she died, Mother Teresa was given a Nobel Peace Prize. Not only does the Nobel come with a one time significant monetary award, but brings much notoriety, attention, and needed privileges that make Sisters of Mercy a stable, sustainable organization. The Head Sister told us there were many similar organizations in Delhi and all over the world which did not have the good fortune which they had had. “There are a good many groups helping poor children in India which need assistance so much more than we do,” she told us.

After making a donation to the Mission, we asked the sister for a business card, or some information that we could pass on to blog readers. She thought for a moment, and then returned with a small, rectangular yellow card. It read:

“The fruit of SILENCE is Prayer

The fruit of PRAYER is Faith

The fruit of FAITH is Love

The fruit of LOVE is Service

The fruit of SERVICE is Peace."

- Mother Teresa

Best business card we’ve ever seen.