(Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi)

September 3, 2016

There are many Salesians in the EAO region working closely with the Missionaries of Charity (MC) Sisters of Mother Teresa, especially in Mongolia, Cambodia, Japan, Philippines and Timor Leste. Before her canonisation we can reflect on the mutual interchange of Charism in the Catholic Church. From Kolkatta (Calcutta) where she had a Salesian confessor to her sisters through many places of India up to the missionary frontiers of Azerbajdian her Sister share some kind of spiritual affinity with the Salesians. After her death the Don Bosco Sha (Japan - Tokyo based SDB Publisher) offers every year a special 'Mother Teresa' Calendar as the best icon of the Catholic Church, most fitting to the country where is not easy to speak about Jesus Christ.  

Probably the most important message of Mother Teresa according Salesian archbishop Thomas Menamparampil is the faith dimension of her work -'It haunted Mother Teresa all the time. She brought a sense of the sacred into every area of her life and work, including the most secularized zones. It accompanied her into the offices of Presidents and Prime Ministers, atheist political leaders and agnostic social thinkers. She stirred that sense in everyone she met, and all felt drawn to her in some mysterious manner. She belonged to all'.

'The life of the Missionaries of Charity is made up of service to the poorest of the poor, being sure to find Jesus in their midst. Mother Teresa did recognized Christ in the poor and for this reason the poor are at the center of her mission. Mercy was for her a life-style, love in action, loving kindness, compassion and forgiveness towards all' (Mother Prema, 63 years, Superior of the MC Sisters) 

The MC (Missionaries of Charity) Congregation has at present 5160 Sisters present in 139 countries (=7 more countries than the Salesians), living in 758 houses or institutes. Together with the MC Sisters there are also 'Brothers of Charity', male consecrated life institute with 397 religious priests living in 69 communities in 21 countries.