Mother is Still Here: Sister Nirmala

It has been a decade since Kolkata's “Saint of Gutters”, Mother Teresa went home to God. But Missionaries of Charity, the order established by Mother in 1950, still continues to feel her divine presence around. The moment one enters the premises of Mother's House on AJC Bose Road in central Kolkata, one is overwhelmed by a feeling of warmth, peace and serenity like one has never experienced before. Two days before her tenth death anniversary, the spirit of Mother Teresa rests in peace in a white marble tomb, built in the middle of Mother's House, and is surrounded by devotees, who sit with their heads bowed, paying a silent tribute to the lady who gave up everything to serve the “poorest of the poor”. “Service to the poorest of the poor” still continues to be the fundamental article of faith in Missionaries of Charity.

“Jesus is the bread of life” is written in flowers over Mother's tomb, and a soft fragrance of incense wafts through the air to create an aura of unmatched divinity. The room adjacent to Mother's tomb holds her possessions and pictures, and tells a tale of Mother's service to humankind. The pictures of Mother Teresa, along with her belongings displayed with care, make one feel a close proximity with the petite Mother. “She is everywhere in the House”, smiles Sister Nirmala, the Superior General of Missionaries of Charity, before settling down with HeadlinesIndia for an exclusive interview about life during Mother's time, and beyond.

It has been ten years since Mother passed away. How has life been in Missionaries of Charity after Mother?

Sister Nirmala: Missionaries of Charity, by the grace of God, and with the presence, prayers and blessings of Mother, is continuing with its work and is going on. It continues to be in the same spirit that it was in when it was founded by Mother.

It has also been ten years of responsibility for you. How does it feel to be in Mother's place?

Sister Nirmala: I would not say I am in Mother's place. I can never replace Mother. I have my own place. I cannot be Mother, I cannot live her life. I have my life, and I am living it the way Mother wanted me to. I think Mother is irreplaceable. No one can ever take her place.

How far do you think you have lived up to Mother's expectations?

Sister Nirmala: I am just continuing the work that she was doing. I try my best to live up to her expectations. I feel, may be Mother is happy with me (laughs).

So, do you hear Mother's voice in your heart, saying she is happy with you? Do you feel her around you?

Sister Nirmala: Yes, I feel her guiding me in everything I do. I never felt that she is not happy with me. I know she is there to look after everything.

Apparently you shared a very close bond with Mother. Tell us something about your relationship with Mother Teresa.

Sister Nirmala: See, we are sisters, but we are really her daughters. I was like her daughter too...

And what kind of bonding did you share with her?

Sister Nirmala: She was a real mother for my future direction. She guided me in a lot of things. As I grew up before her eyes, she taught me how to love, how to care selflessly. She guided me to spirituality, and she encouraged me in whatever I wanted to do (Mother Teresa had encouraged Sister Nirmala to study law). So I really shared a very special bond with her.

With such special bond, do you miss her around?

Sister Nirmala: It is only her physical being that is missing from here. Her spirit continues to be in every part of the order. We feel here presence everywhere.

Coming back to the order, what changes has Missionaries of Charity seen over the past decade?

Sister Nirmala: The changes have come in the form of expansion. We have expanded to 14 new countries, and we are striving hard to expand further. The Missionaries of Charity has set up 166 new homes across the world. The number of nuns has increased too. Everything else is the same (laughs)...

It is often alleged that Missionaries of Charity follows a static and rudimentary style of functioning....

Sister Nirmala: It is our rule, you know. We follow our tradition, we follow our spirit...

Don't you wish to modernise the Missionaries of Charity?

Sister Nirmala: No. We prefer to keep it simple. That is the way Missionaries of Charity is (laughs).

What about the funds and donations that are sent to Missionaries of Charity? Has there been any change in the amount of help you received during Mother's time?

Sister Nirmala: People are still sending us donations. They're helping us in many ways. We have more than we need (smiles serenely). Mother's blessings are there with us. People still appreciate what she has done.

What is it about Mother that still keeps her alive in people's hearts?

Sister Nirmala: Love. It is her love for them. The words of love that she spread is still carved in people's hearts. That is why people love Mother Teresa.

It has been revealed that Mother Teresa suffered from a spiritual crisis in the last four decades of her life. Did she have doubts about her own faith in God?

Sister Nirmala: She did not have any doubts about her faith in God. It is just that she was disturbed by the silence of God. Don't we all feel the silence of God at times? She was after all, a human, who was also perturbed by the silence of the almighty.

Did she ever share her apprehensions with you? Did she tell you about the crisis that she was facing?

Sister Nirmala: She never told anything to us. She was a very simple and reserved person, and she kept her problems to herself. She did not burden us with her troubles.

Did she not tell you even about her physical pains and problems?

Sister Nirmala: She did only when she was in immense pain.

How do you feel about Mother Teresa's canonisation by the Pope later this year?

Sister Nirmala: For us, for the people, Mother was always a saint. Now they are making it official. Of course it is a beautiful feeling because though she is already a saint, it is now being declared officially. All her hard work, the challenges that she faced, the life she lived have been rewarded. It is a beautiful feeling (smiles).

So this year is special for Missionaries of Charity. Mother's tenth death anniversary is to be followed by her canonisation... Do you have any special plans to commemorate her on her tenth death anniversary on the of September 5 ?

Sister Nirmala: We will be organising a Feast Day celebration on her death anniversary. A book containing all her writings and prayers is also coming out this year on the of September 4. We will start the day with Candlelight Procession and Rosary, and will follow it up with Holy Mass and Prayer for Peace. The Catholic Association of West Bengal has also scheduled events which started on August 4, her birthday, and will continue till September 14.

Anything other than this....?

Sister Nirmala: No. We would like to keep it simple, as Mother preferred it to be (smiles).

Okay, one last question. Is there any special message which you would like to convey to people on your own, as well as Mother Teresa's behalf?

Sister Nirmala: Yes. I would like to thank the people for all that they are doing. I expect more of their support, their prayers to come. I would like to thank them for the love they have showered on Mother, and Missionaries of Charity. Their words of love keep us going. I would also like to encourage young people to give their lives to God so that they can carry on with Mother's legacy of selfless love and sacrifice. Also, I would like to thank the media for all the efforts that they put for keeping Mother alive even today!

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