Missionaries of Charity

Missionaries of Charity
Congregatio Missionariarum a Caritate
AbbreviationM.C.
FormationOctober 7, 1950; 74 years ago (October 7, 1950)
FounderMother Teresa
TypeReligious institute
Religious congregation
Headquarters54/a Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Road, Kolkata, India
Membership
5,750 members as of 2023
Superior general
Sr. Mary Joseph Michael, MC[1]
Websitemissionariesofcharity.org
RemarksMotto: "Do all you do with love"[2]
Sisters belonging to Missionaries of Charity in their attire of traditional white sari with blue border.

The Missionaries of Charity (Latin: Congregatio Missionariarum a Caritate) is a Catholic centralised religious institute of consecrated life of Pontifical Right for women[3] established in 1950 by Mother Teresa, now known in the Catholic Church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta. As of 2023, it consisted of 5,750 members of religious sisters. Members of the order designate their affiliation using the order's initials, "M.C.". A member of the congregation must adhere to the vows of chastity, poverty, obedience, and the fourth vow, to give "wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor."[4] Today, the order consists of both contemplative and active branches in several countries.

Missionaries care for those who include refugees, former prostitutes, the mentally ill, sick children, abandoned children, lepers, people with AIDS, the aged, and convalescent. They have schools that are run by volunteers to teach abandoned street children and run soup kitchens as well as other services according to the community needs. These services are provided, without charge, to people regardless of their religion or social status.

  1. ^ Rosario, Francis Sunil (12 April 2022). "Q & A with Sister Mary Joseph, new superior general of the Missionaries of Charity".
  2. ^ Choi, Kamiel (27 March 2010). "Missionaries of Charity".
  3. ^ "Missionaries of Charity (M.C.)".
  4. ^ Muggeridge (1971) chapter 3, Mother Teresa Speaks, pp. 105, 113.