Religion: Missing Charisma

Religion

India Today
September 7,1998

MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY
Missing Charisma

The order comes to terms with life without Mother Teresa.

By Udayan Namboodiri

Sister Nirmala The small group that had gathered at Mother House in Calcutta on August 26 had a forlorn look about it. They were all there -- the nuns in blue-bordered white saris, the journalists with cameras and the visitors with bouquets -- but she wasn't there. And that made all the difference. The birth anniversary of Mother Teresa, the first since her death on September 5 last year, was shorn of the bustle and activity that have marked the day in recent years. Without the towering presence of the frail Mother, the day had lost its charm.

A year after Mother Teresa's death, her absence seems to be telling on the Missionaries of Charity (MC). The Mother commanded a mammoth following and stirred the sympathy of the world's rich and famous. Her successor, the low-profile Sister Nirmala, runs the order on the same lines as she did. But Sister Nirmala is not a force powerful enough to recreate Mother's magic.

Sharp and intelligent, Sister Nirmala is trying to live up to the people's expectations. But she lacks charisma. "She is something of an official spokesperson for Mother Teresa. Not another Mother Teresa," says a Calcutta-based diplomat. "She may have had something new to offer to the young generation. But she is content to capitalise on the spirit of the Mother." The MC too reserves the title Mother for the founder; all succeeding superiors-general will be just Sisters. On her part, Sister Nirmala has no illusions. "I will remain Sister Nirmala and carry on the good work," she says simply. She is also quite open and warm to the media and admits that it has a large role to play in refocussing attention on poverty at a time when funds are hard to come by. "The poorest of the poor, who were dearest to Mother, must depend on charity," she adds. But making the MC continue as the chief conduit for charity is her main job.

On the face of it, the mammoth network that Mother Teresa had built over the years seems to be functioning smoothly. In the year since her death, the mission has kept its commitment to open 19 new branches globally.

The finances of the order are closely guarded, as they were during Mother's time. But, says Sister Nirmala, "We have no difficulty with funds or gifts. They are still at the old levels." The donations are still coming in, Catholic organisations from around the world continue to be generous with food and medicines. But the flood of parcels and money orders, which the local post office often found difficult to handle during Mother's time, is a thing of the past. Without Mother, MC has had to compete with NGOs and other agencies for donations.

There is also concern over the falling number of aspirants for the order. To her credit, Sister Nirmala has evolved a system to increase the education levels of new nuns. The recruits can attend school and return as more intelligent nuns. "She is striving at consolidation, she is wise," says a church source.

Sister Nirmala is all that and much more. But she must always live under the benevolent shadow of the diminutive Mother.

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