“Come, be my light!” (Jesus to our Foundress)
Our Society known as the Missionaries of Charity Contemplative is a diocesan religious Institute composed of Brothers and priests with equal rights and obligations, founded by St. Teresa of Calcutta with Fr. Sebastian Vazhakala, on 19 March, 1979.
It was erected into a diocesan religious Institute in Rome by his Eminence Cardinal Camillo Ruini, on 8 December, 1993, on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The members take public vows of Chastity, Poverty, Obedience and whole-hearted free Service to the poorest of the poor lived according to the Institute’s own Constitutions:
- With a life marked by an intense life of prayer, penance and works of mercy in simplicity and humility within their own communities and in the heart of the world, aided by the Superior who is their father, teacher and guide.
- Who are called by the Lord to reflect, live and diffuse the Spirit, Charism and Mission entrusted to our Foundress, St. Teresa of Calcutta. Currently the Brothers serve the poorest of the poor in Rome, Albania, India, Ghana, Nigeria and Israel.
What are they called to do?
“Little one, give me souls” (Jesus to our Foundress)
To satiate the infinite thirst of Jesus on the Cross and in the Eucharist for love and for souls. Remaining in the heart of the Church we consecrate and sanctify ourselves, our Society and the entire world, especially the world of the poorest of the poor:
- With our constant effort to transform our lives after the image of Jesus and our communities into true sanctuaries of love, peace and joy by means of prayer, dialogue, sharing and service.
- Doing ordinary things with extraordinary love for the greater glory of God.
- With our consecrated contemplative presence in the heart of the world, as we are called to be contemplative missionaries and missionary contemplatives for twenty-four hours of each day: from the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament we go to the presence of Jesus in the poorest of the poor, and vice versa.
- Giving immediate and effective service according to the felt need in a given situation.
- Accepting everything, especially our daily crosses, trials and sufferings in total surrender, loving trust and cheerfulness, which is the Spirit of our Institute.
The Society will entirely depend on Divine Providence for all her needs, spiritual and temporal, without ever being anxious about tomorrow.
One of God’s special gifts to our Contemplative Branch is the Movement of the Lay Missionaries of Charity, which is meant to be at the service of the family, to promote and foster “unity and fidelity in marriage guided by love and peace, as the future of humanity passes by way of the family” (St. John Paul II). Back in 1947 St. Teresa M.C. wrote to the Archbishop of Kolkata:
“Your Grace,…Tell the Holy Father [Pope Pius XII] that the Institute will be especially for the unity and happiness of family life – the life of which he has so much at heart. Tell him about the countless broken homes, here in India, in Kolkata, in everywhere – It is to make these unhappy homes happy – to bring Jesus into their dark homes that our Lord wants me and the Sisters (Brothers) to give our lives as victims for homes. By our poverty, labour and zeal we shall enter every home – gather the little children from these unhappy homes…”
“What if all be failure – I have no fear.- If only one family – if only one little unhappy child is made happy with the love of Jesus, tell me, will it not be worth all of us giving all for that – for you having all the trouble?” (Asansol, India, March 1947).