Suzanne Kellogg Mother Teresa

A visit with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta describes Suzanne Kellogg’s journey to Calcutta, Mother Teresa’s welcoming spirit, and her own discoveries made in each of the homes run by the Missionaries of Charity, including Prem Daan, Dumd Dum, Titigarh, and Nirmal Hriday. Kellogg documents her journey, sharing her own observations of Calcutta and the work of the Missionaries of Charity.

Kellogg begins her article by describing her introduction to Calcutta and Mother Teresa. When she first arrived Mother Teresa was waiting for her, welcoming her to Calcutta. Kellogg felt comfortable with Mother Teresa instantly, even in the busy streets around her. She arrived in November 1976. The weather was still warm. The streets were filled with trolleys, buses, taxis, and richshaws pulled by both bikes and humans with bare feet. Kellogg noted that the city seemed so busy and developing, but the poverty was still apparent. People on buses were suffering from active tuberculosis and had infected open sores. Families had to wash clothes in puddles in the streets. The people of

In India women who have a child out of wedlock are demoted to the level of ‘untouchables.’ This means they are the lowest class and are disowned by their families and society. The Missionaries of Charity provide these girls and women with a home in return for child care and chores. This place gives these girls and women a chance to keep their children and support them.

Titigarth, another home discussed by Kellogg, creates a community for people suffering from leprosy. Leprosy is a disease that destroys one’s limbs and if left untreated destroys one’s organs. The community allows those suffering to have the support and comfort of others suffering as well, while receiving treatment. Titigarth houses over two hundred people. They grow their own food and weave their own