Mother Teresa Hands Over Work Convert From Hinduism Will Take Over Worldwide Mission

An ailing Mother Teresa handed over her global mission on Thursday to an Indian-born nun who converted to Roman Catholicism after being inspired by the works of the Nobel laureate.

Sister Nirmala, born of a priestly Hindu caste, was selected by a conclave of 120 nuns who deliberated for eight weeks before reaching a consensus.

“Now I am happy,” said Mother Teresa, 86, who had guided the mission for half a century. “Pray, so that she can continue God’s work.”

Sister Nirmala immediately became head of the Missionaries of Charity, which includes more than 4,000 nuns and runs 517 orphanages, homes for the poor, AIDS hospices and other charity centers around the world.

“I am in dreamland right now,” the 63-year-old nun said. “It’s a big responsibility.”

Mother Teresa and her successor appeared on the second-floor balcony of Mother House, the mission’s headquarters in downtown Calcutta. Behind them, a cloth banner proclaimed: “We love our dearest Mother Nirmala.” Flowers and garlands were delivered to the front door, where the sisters were cloistered for the election.

Sister Nirmala said she would not formally accept the title Mother while Mother Teresa is alive.

Thursday’s election is unlikely to change the character of the order. However, Sister Nirmala will have to work hard to get the access to world leaders that helped Mother Teresa, winner of the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the poor, raise millions of dollars.

“I don’t know how far I will be able to carry out the work successfully,” Sister Nirmala said. “I will try, and with the blessings of Mother and God, I will be able to carry it out.”

She was not among the leading candidates for the position, one of the most visible in the Roman Catholic Church outside the Vatican, and few people outside the group even could identify her.

But she was one of the first nuns to head a foreign mission, running posts in Panama, Europe and Washington, D.C., according to the Rev. Edward le Joly, a Jesuit priest who is close to the order.

Most recently, she was based in Calcutta and headed the group’s contemplative wing, which deals with spiritual matters. That may have helped in her selection.

Pope John Paul II had advised the nuns that they should be led by a woman of deep spirituality, which may have steered the conclave away from candidates with more administrative experience, le Joly said.

Born Nirmala Joshi into a family of Brahmans, the traditional Hindu priestly caste, Sister Nirmala is the daughter of an Indian army officer who reportedly emigrated from neighboring Nepal.

She converted at age 24 because of Mother Teresa. “I was a Hindu initially, but after being inspired by Mother’s work, I took to Christianity.”

Mother Teresa, while still frail, is likely to remain an influential voice.

“She will always be there as the Mother,” said Sunita Kumar, a long-time friend of Mother Teresa’s and one of the few outsiders who was privy to the deliberations.

The sisters were praying and singing inside the walled compound, where Mother Teresa began her order in 1947 by rescuing destitute people from lonely deaths.

Mother Teresa had said she no longer wants to lead the order because she is too ill.

She underwent angioplasty to remove blockages from arteries last year after a mild heart attack. A persistent lung infection and kidney problems have impeded her recovery.