Trusting God in Calcutta and Home Again

About volunteering in Calcutta with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity, Anne Marie, says, “It’s kind of neat to receive communion at the hands of a saint but you’ve got to think, what’s the main attraction?” 

Anne Marie is a woman who quietly dedicates her life to living the Catholic Faith and following God’s commands.  She has a very gentle and welcoming nature.  Yet beneath this quite exterior lies a strong and funny person.  She is a woman who spent her savings and vacation in Calcutta volunteering with Mother Teresa.  She is also a woman who sees it as her unquestionable duty to put her life on hold and care for her sick aunt. 

During a time in Anne Marie’s life when she was going through spiritual direction and reading some of Mother Teresa’s books, she told her director, a priest, that she wanted to work with Mother Teresa.  She felt drawn to mission work.  At the time she was a social worker in, Florida.  Anne Marie suggested to the priest that she spend a vacation working in one of the Missionaries of Charities houses in the United States.  The priest suggested she go to India.  On the belief that she should follow the urgings of her spiritual director, Anne Marie began planning her trip to Calcutta.

She wrote to Mother Teresa and Mother Teresa wrote back.  It took about seven months to receive a response but on Holy Thursday in 1994, Anne Marie received the letter welcoming her to come to India and share her love for the poor.  Also, Mother Teresa instructed, Anne Marie, on what she would need to bring and how to prepare for the trip. 

While she waited to hear from Mother Teresa, Anne Marie had the time she needed to save for the trip.  She did a lot of praying during that time.  Once she received the letter, Anne Marie applied for her visa.  She was told it would take two months to process.  She received her visa one week later.  She was off to Calcutta, India.

Anne Marie was excited to go to India and serve the poor.  Unfortunately she was very scared.  She felt as if she was a coward.  The many stories of how women were treated in Calcutta were frightening to her.  She knew that women were not respected.  They were often grabbed and groped in the streets, especially western women, since they were believed to be “loose.”  Anne Marie kept pushing past her fears through continual prayer.  She knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity from which she could not turn away. 

Before arriving in Calcutta, Anne Marie was looking forward to working in the home for the dying.  Her fears about that place in particular kept rising but she moved forward.  She was never asked to work there.  Instead she worked in Prem Dan which means “gift of love.”  It is a home for the elderly.  Anne Marie bathed the elderly women and washed clothes. 

As Anne Marie was settling into her assignment, she became ill.  She was so sick that she could no longer help anyone.  She could hardly breathe and although she was not near death, she feared she was going to die.   This illness took her by surprise.  She was here to work with the poor.  She was here to help others.  This was not the time for her to be needy.   Anne Marie spent many hours in prayer.  She finally lost her temper with God.  It was then that God spoke to her in his inaudible voice.  The voice that is only a feeling yet she knew God exact words, “I thought you told me from the beginning it was my plan not yours.  If it’s my plan why are you upset with the outcome?  What difference does it make if you’re flat on your back sick or up helping others as long as your heart is with me that’s all that I’m concerned with.”

Anne Marie understood that God was not done with her yet.  She then asked him if it were ok with him could he make her well by her birthday, which was four days away.  By her birthday she was well enough to go to mass followed by adoration.  There were threats of riots in the streets due to the growing political unrest.  Anne Marie prayed for God to send her home.  She was so scared.  She was not due to go home for almost a week.  As she continued to pray to go home, she heard God again.  This time he asked if she trusted him.  She replied yes, but she wanted to go home.  She did not go home early.

During the remainder of her trip, Anne Marie worked in the Children’s home and in the soup line.  She visited the sisters at the contemplative branch and made a long list of all her friends and family members to be placed beneath the monstrance.  Anne Marie stayed for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. 

Throughout her experience in India, Anne Marie kept being reminded of people she knew in the United States.  She was reminded of clients from her work as a social worker.  The mannerisms or expressions would call up a memory of those she had helped in America.  Upon meeting the different people in India , she couldn’t help but think that she could be doing this at home.  She started to believe that God wanted her to continue helping others at home.  In fact Mother Teresa’s philosophy was to take what you have learned in Calcutta then go home and do the same. 

Anne Marie is still serving God.  She is the primary care giver for her disabled aunt.  Prior to her mother passing away, Anne Marie was the primary care giver for her as well.  She needed to quit her job to care for them.  She believes that love begins at home and her experience in India prepared her for this time in her life.  Anne Marie explains, “It’s about serving God.  We’re called to be faithful.”