Volunteering with Missionaries of Charity

Volunteers of all ages and nationalities are welcome to participate in the Sisters’ service of the poorest of the poor, by offering their time and talents for a period of time (from just a few hours to possibly a couple of years). By giving their “heart to love and hands to serve,” as Mother Teresa used to say, in different parts of the world, the volunteers join the Sisters in the work and in prayer, as much as their schedule permits them.

Visit website for contacts

Those wishing to volunteer can directly contact the regional house of the country/region, where you plan to go. View the list of regional houses of the Missionaries of Charity with the respective country in each region.

Tips for Volunteering in Kolkata

Before starting as a volunteer, individuals must register with the Sisters-in-charge of volunteers. Registration and Orientation is on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Motherhouse Missionaries of Charity, 54A, A.J.C. Bose Road, Kolkata- 700016 at 3 pm. Day passes are issued for individuals who arrive on a day when there is no registration. But they are required to register at the next registration. Please bring your passport/Aadhar card (for Indians) as you are required to show it to the Volunteer Coordinator.

Volunteer Coordinators are not available on Sundays and Thursdays. Thursday is a day of prayer for the Sisters.

Houses in which volunteers may serve

Volunteers share in the works of love at the Homes given below. Details will be given at the Orientation.

• Nirmal Hriday (Immaculate Heart), Kalighat: the first home of the Missionaries of Charity welcomes seriously sick and dying women and men.

• Daya Dan (Gift of Compassion), a home for mild to profoundly developmentally challenged children up to the age of 18.

• Shanti Dan (Gift of Peace), a home solely for women with mild to serious developmental challenges.

• Prem Dan (Gift of Love), a home for destitute men and women who have various sicknesses and disabilities.

• The Sisters are involved in many street apostolates with the poorest of the poor in the city. You may be asked on occasion to assist in helping at one of their apostolates on a need basis. However the four homes mentioned above are the main sites at which volunteers serve.

• Visiting Hours for our Homes: 9 a.m. – 11.30 am and 3 p.m. – 5.30 p.m. Closed on Thursdays which is a rest day for volunteers.

Volunteer timings

Mass begins at 6 am, followed by a simple breakfast for volunteers whose hostels are far away.

• The Sister-in-charge will meet the volunteers after the breakfast, give any directions for the day, issue day passes and check that new volunteers are looked after and managing the first difficult days. The volunteers who have more experience are very supportive and new volunteers will be guided by others and the Sisters.

Prayer Timings

• The Sister-in-charge will meet the volunteers after the breakfast, give any directions for the day, issue day passes and check that new volunteers are looked after and managing the first difficult days. The volunteers who have more experience are very supportive and new volunteers will be guided by others and the Sisters.

• Volunteers are welcome to view Mother Teresa’s Room and the Museum on Mother Teresa’s life, message and spirit. Additionally they can pray silently at Mother’s tomb during the visiting hours. Mother Teresa’s words, “The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service and the fruit of service is peace.” would be the guiding light to all volunteers. Sharing in the spirituality of St. Teresa of Calcutta during volunteering helps to make their experience a time of spiritual growth and grace.

• Volunteers are encouraged to participate in the weekly sharing, the monthly recollection days and the daily prayer.

• Weekly Holy Mass and Blessing (with Mother Teresa’s Relic) at Mother Teresa’s Tomb is held on Fridays at 4.30 pm.

Accommodation for volunteers

• There are numerous guesthouses, budget friendly hotels and mid-range hotels available close by. Volunteers are advised to have confirmed accommodation before coming to avoid any challenges on arrival.

Guidelines

• It has been my experience that volunteering in Kolkata at the homes of the Missionaries of Charity is a special experience and a privilege. I have witnessed that volunteers who fully immerse themselves in the experience, both the work and the spiritual opportunities provided, gain the maximum benefit. You will find the Sisters to be welcoming, accepting and inspiring, so we volunteers are encouraged to always respect the place as visitors in their homes.

• As volunteers, while we are in Motherhouse, at morning breakfast and other times of spiritual activities we must always be aware that it is a sacred place of a Saint, where people come for silent prayer and to participate in Masses at the tomb of Saint Teresa of Calcutta. It is also the house of Sisters’ Generalate and the Novitiate of the MC Congregation. We are expected to maintain the place as ‘quiet zone’ and respect it as a convent of Religious Sisters.

• Each Home and the apostolic centres have their rules based on civil regulations. Let us be aware that the Homes are not Hospitals! They are Homes for giving love and tender care for homeless and abandoned persons by society. Volunteers’ responsible behaviour, adherence to homes’ policies, respecting local culture and dress codes, adapting to each situation, will enhance your own experience. It will also make a real, positive difference. Our support, cooperation and prayers help the Sisters to serve the poor better.