Put love into action, says Sr. Nirmala

Head of Missionaries of Charity makes brief visit to St. Paul

CNS file photo Sr. Nirmala Joshi, head of the Missionaries of Charity, came to St. Paul for two days

By ALICIA AMBROSIO
WCR Staff Writer
St. Paul

The people of Alberta are good and they love one another. That was the impression Sister Nirmala Joshi, superior general of the Missionaries of Charity, was left with after her visit to Alberta in late October.

Sister Nirmala, who succeeded Mother Teresa as head of the Missionaries of Charity in 1997, made her first ever trip to St. Paul on Oct. 30 and 31 to meet with her fellow sisters working there.

Despite arriving late in the day on Oct. 30, Sister Nirmala was taken to Ecole du Sommet where her fellow sisters, their families and friends were waiting to greet her.

Dancers from the White Fish Lake Reserve and Saddle Lake Reserve communities treated her to a performance of traditional native dances.

"It's beautiful to keep alive the (native) culture," she told the WCR in an Oct. 31 phone interview. "The people are beautiful and it was beautiful listening to them."

People are good

Although her stay in St. Paul was brief, Sister Nirmala said she could see that "people are good" which gives her reason to be positive. However, she said, there is room for improvement.

Sister Nirmala said she would like to see people "remember that God loves us, trust him, and remember he is there and will see us through. And love one another."

"We need to remember that all of us have the power and capacity to love and the desire to put that into practice," she said. Sister Nirmala also said that from what she saw during her brief stay in St. Paul she does believe the people of Alberta do love each other, and she should know.

She has served 10 years as superior general of the Missionaries of Charity following the death of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Poorest of the poor

Sister Nirmala has travelled the world visiting her fellow sisters and finding ways to continue ministering to the poorest of the poor by reminding people of God's love.

"Many things have happened (in the last 10 years)," she said. The Missionaries have established houses in 14 new countries, including Kazakhstan, Finland, Mali, New Zealand, Israel, Algeria, Chad, Norway, Thailand, Togo, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Azerbaijan, and Afghanistan.

As well, new homes have been opened in North America in Spokane, Washington and Quebec City.

Regardless of this progress, Sister Nirmala keeps looking to the future. When asked where she would like the Missionaries to open their next house, without skipping a beat she replies confidently, "We want to go to East Timor."

Not only has the order expanded its global footprint, but its numbers have grown. In the last 10 years 1,000 more sisters have joined the order and more men have joined the order of brothers, she said.

"We are growing by the grace of God and Mother's (Teresa) prayer is helping so many people."

The Missionaries of Charity in St. Paul work primarily with the Aboriginal communities on the White Fish Lake and Saddle Creek reserves while making time to visit hospitals and old age homes in St. Paul.

While in Canada, Sister Nirmala also visited Missionaries of Charity in Vancouver and Winnipeg.

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