Mother Teresa: a biography

STEPPING ASIDE
On March 13, 1997, the Missionaries of Charity took a long-awaited
step: choosing a successor to head their order. The announcement ended
months of speculation not only about Mother Teresa’s future, but about
who would succeed her. The discussions over the new leader had been
deadlocked for weeks as the order struggled to find an acceptable replace-
ment. Eventually the members were forced to turn to Pope John Paul II
who offered a compromise: Mother Teresa would stay on as spiritual and
titular head of the Missionaries of Charity, while Sister Nirmala, a 63-
year-old member of the order would take over the day-to-day duties of the
group. It was also decided that she would hold the post for six years when
“ T H E M O S T O B E D I E N T W O M A N I N T H E C H U R C H ” 1 3 5

---

the group would meet again to choose either a new head or reelect Sister
Nirmala.
Despite the effort at compromise, the transition did not go smoothly.
Within hours of Sister Nirmala’s appointment, Mother Teresa announced
plans to create a number of new homes. Sister Nirmala did not object. She
was by temperament timid, and decided to maintain a low profile, even
bypassing the title of “Mother” for the time being. Mother Teresa acted as
if she were still in charge, while giving her blessing to her successor.
Though her health was failing, Mother Teresa continued to travel, to
raise funds, and visit many of the new homes that the Missionaries of
Charity established. But in March 1996, she fell out of bed and broke her
collarbone. Yet, by June, she was traveling again, though she fell once
more, this time severely spraining her ankle. In the meantime, her mem-
ory grew worse and lapses became more frequent.
In August 1996, Mother Teresa was once more admitted to the Wood-
land’s Nursing Home in Calcutta. She was having trouble breathing and
many believed that she was going to die. She rallied, though, and left the
facility on September 6, against her doctors’ wishes. She then attended
special services marking the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the
Missionaries of Charity. But two weeks later, she was back in the hospital
after having fallen down the stairs at the Motherhouse. More of her days
were spent in bed suffering from severe back pain.
Finally, in January 1997, Mother Teresa announced her decision to re-
sign as mother superior of the order; her health was too precarious, and
even she seemed to realize that she could no longer battle her ailments as
she once had. However, in May, she did travel to Rome where she met
with the pope and then to the United States where she was awarded the
Congressional Medal of Freedom in recognition for her work. She also
made time to tour New York City’s the Bronx with Princess Diana.
The untimely death of Princess Diana three months later was one more
loss to bear. Mother Teresa had become good friends with the young
princess, often offering her advice. The two also talked of Mother Teresa’s
work, and Princess Diana had made a point of visiting Nirmal Hriday
when she came to India, years before. Mother Teresa’s remarks on the
princess’ death were in fact her last public statements. On September 5,
1997, the eve of Diana’s funeral, Mother Teresa’s heart finally stopped.
After a private service at the chapel of the Motherhouse, her body was
transferred to a Missionary of Charity ambulance with the word “Mother”
written across it, and taken to St. Thomas Church, which was used by the
Loreto Sisters. Here, thousands of mourners crowded among the pews to
pay their respects to the tiny nun. A week later, the Indian government
1 3 6
M O T H E R T E R E S A

---

held a state funeral for Mother Teresa. On September 13, her body was
carried through the streets of Calcutta on the same gun carriage used to
transport two of India’s greatest leaders and heroes: Mahatma Gandhi and
Jawaharlal Nehru. Thousands of mourners lined the streets as the carriage
traveled to the Calcutta sports stadium where a state funeral mass was
held; numerous dignitaries were in attendance to pay their respects. Af-
terwards, in a private ceremony, with soldiers firing their guns in a last
tribute, Mother Teresa was laid to rest beneath a plain stone slab on the
grounds of the Motherhouse located at A.J.C. Bose Road. Here, she is not
far from the people she served and helped.