Many of us had profound experiences serving the poorest of the poor with the Missionaries of Charity sisters in Calcutta, India. Some of us did not want to end the journey upon returning to the US, so we decided to continue it locally. In 2019, during the season of Lent, we launched Project: Finding Calcutta inspired by the encouraging words of St. Teresa of Calcutta. Her assignment was clear, precise, and direct.

“Find your own Calcutta”

In Matthew 25 Jesus explains that at the end of the world He will judge people by their deeds of mercy. To the kind hearted people, He will say, “Come you who are blessed by my Father… For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, a stranger and you welcomed Me, naked and you clothed Me, sick and you cared for Me, in prison and you visited Me.” Some of His listeners were surprised and asked, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You a drink?” Jesus replied, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of Mine, you did it to Me”. Mother Teresa always showed one of her hands, pointing at each finger and said: “You – did – it – to – me”.

“whatever you did for one of these least brothers of Mine, you did it to Me”

A group of us had that very experience with the poorest of the poor. Missionaries of Charity sisters are still continuing what Mother Teresa started many decades ago. We went to Mass with the Sisters at 6 a.m. everyday, then had fellowship with other volunteers over chai, bread and bananas, after that we said some prayers and went off to different homes that the MCs were running. They had many beautiful traditions that we enjoyed. And serving the poor was very fulfilling and unforgettable too. It truly was a life-changing experience. But Mother Teresa didn’t mean for us to help the poor just in the slums of Calcutta.

“Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely, right where you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have eyes to see.”

That’s what Project: Finding Calcutta is all about. Every weekend we hope to find Calcutta in the US like Mother Teresa lovingly encouraged us to. We desire to love our neighbors like Jesus gently commanded us to. So, our goal is to love those who are hungry, lonely or sick. By serving them, we are quenching the thirst of Jesus. Will you join us?

We currently have active Projects in Dallas and Fort Worth areas. Please click on the button below to do something beautiful for God. We are expanding to Denver, Kansas City, and a few other cities soon. Please sign up for our newsletter below to get updates on that. If you want to start a new Project in your own City, let us know and we’ll help you get started.

Volunteer