♪♪ (choir singing in foreign language)
♪♪ (choir continues)
(chattering, faint)
(man speaking Italian)
A beam of light came from the picture.
I felt no pain.
The tumor was here.
(chuckles)
But it's gone.
MAN (on radio): The Canadian prime minister visited Britain today
and, after a stop-off at Parliament,
had tea in the afternoon with the queen at Buckingham Palace.
Tomorrow, he heads to Montreal.
In other news, the Vatican has recognized as a miracle
the healing of a tumor in the abdomen of an Indian woman named Monica Besra
following the application of a locket containing Mother Teresa's picture.
The spokesman in Rome said it was the first of two verified miracles
needed before Mother Teresa can be canonized a saint.
(speaking Italian)
This darkness she felt, that she wrote about,
apparently began back in '48
about the time she began her work with the poor.
It went on for pretty much the last 50 years of her life.
MAN: She had been working with the poor for two years
when this picture was taken.
(clears throat)
The sadness of the work had taken its toll on her--
an untold darkness,
loneliness,
a continual longing for God.
She had this feeling that God had abandoned her.
And except for me and a few other priests--
and of course the Archbishop of Calcutta, Ferdinand Périer--
no one knew about her feeling of isolation.
(clears throat)
Can I get you something, Ben?
No, no.
Not a thing, Father.
You see, what would pain me the most
was her feeling that there was no God in her.
That's the way she would put it.
And she would say
her longing was so strong that it felt to her like torture.
It seemed as if there was nothing I could do to help her.
This picture was taken
where Mother Teresa taught.
It was taken in 1946.
I keep it here because it reminds me of where it all began.
Can I take a closer look? Sure.
(chuckles)
And that's the school? Yes.
It has quite a history.
Can you tell me a little more about the school
and the time that she was there?
Well, her years at Loreto teaching,
it was wonderful years for her.
She would say she loved teaching most of all.
Her life would later be totally dedicated to the poor,
but she was first and foremost a teacher.
WOMAN: People have been suffering.
And this starvation, hmm?
This starvation has brought thousands of refugees onto the streets of our city.
Really, we are living through
one of the most turbulent times
in the history of Calcutta.
Shubashini.
My mother says she is very, very frightened.
There are riots going on outside my house.
I feel safe here inside the convent walls,
but I'm really worried about my mother and my family.
Well, it's true that these tensions have got worse
since India is preparing for independence.
This has created the violence,
but it is between the Hindus and Muslims.
It really has nothing to do with your family.
I don't really think you have to worry.
But I'm still scared, Sister.
Well, try not to be, hmm?
This will all resolve itself soon, we hope-- we pray.
(bell ringing) Right. We must finish.
Sister, do you have a minute?
Yes, Deepa.
(sighs) Sister, aren't you worried?
No. Trust in God, Deepa.
He's watching over us.
Sister, but my father says that the Christians in India are a minority
and anything can happen to them, given what's been going on.
That's why my father wants me to stay here,
inside the walls of the convent grounds--
so that I'm safe here--
and not return home until all this is over.
Hmm. Well, he's quite right. I agree with him.
You are safe here, hmm?
But if you have any more questions, you can always talk to Father van Exem.
Hmm? Okay.
In the meantime, try not to worry.
Hmm?
Sister.
Thank you.
Thank you, Sister.
(chattering)
Someone sick, Sister?
No.
Do you want me to take some food to their room?
No. I'll take care of it. Thank you, Sister.
(loud chattering)
(chattering)
(shouts)
What are you doing out here, Sister? It's not safe for you to be out here.
These people are hungry, desperate.
You need to get back inside the convent.
But I wanted to take these people some food.
Yes, yes. (shouts)
Sister, last week, for three days,
Hindus and Muslims rampaged through a neighborhood not far from here.
They killed anyone they found on the opposite side.
(shouts)
The troops had to restore order.
You cannot come out here again, Sister. Do you understand?
You need to get back inside the convent.
Please pray that peace will be restored.
Yes, I will pray. Thank you.
Please, go to the convent, Sister.
Is everything all right, Sister?
Yes, Mother General.
I heard you went outside the convent this morning.
Yes.
Yes, I wanted to give food to a family that is hungry.
I'm sorry. I know I should not go outside.
When you returned, you were troubled, I am told.
Are you sure you're all right?
Yes, thank you.
But to tell truth, Mother General,
I keep thinking about those people out there.
I see them from my classroom window.
I want to help.
But there are so many of them. You can't help them all.
But we can help some.
I feel ashamed not at least to try.
They're very, very hungry. They have nothing.
Our vocation is to teach young girls.
That is our calling, Sister.
My mother reminded me of my calling.
"Dearest daughter,
Do not forget you went out there to help the poor."
What are you saying, Sister Teresa?
I don't know.
I love teaching. I love being a nun.
But I must do something.
Surely God must love the poor outside these walls
as much as he loves privileged girls inside the walls.
I believe you're going on a retreat in the next few days.
Yes.
I will ask God what I am to do.
(horn blows)
(man on speakers, faint)
I think I'll take this one.
Tell-- Tell Mother General not to worry.
Have a restful retreat, Sister Teresa. God be with you.
Thank you. God bless you.
(engine hissing)
(horn blowing)
VAN EXEM: It was on this train, en route to Darjeeling,
that she had a life-changing moment.
She received what she took as a message from God
to go serve the poorest of the poor and live among them.
She referred to it as the call within a call--
to give up everything and to follow him into the slums.
And she said she knew it was his will, that she had to do it.
But it would have to be the decision of the church.
MOTHER GENERAL: What do you mean you heard the voice of God?
I heard a voice on the train.
It was not audible, but was very clear, direct.
It told me that I must leave the solace of the convent
and give my life to serve the poor, to live among the poor.
It was a command that I must follow Christ into the slums
and serve him by serving the poorest of the poor.
You seem to have forgotten the vows you took as a cloistered nun, Sister.
Among the vows was poverty, chastity
and obedience.
Yes, I know, Mother General.
But I also know it is his will,
and I have to follow him.
It is a call within a call.
I would like to apply for exclaustration.
This way, I can remain in Loreto order
and continue to live by my vows.
What I'm asking is permission to work outside the walls.
You know very well that cloistered nuns cannot go outside the walls.
You are the principal of our school.
The girls depend on you and love you.
They don't even mind when you are strict.
So, what are you saying?
Are you asking for permission to be released from your duties?
Are you asking for permission to be released from your vows?
No, no. I want to remain a nun.
But all I'm asking is to be allowed to work with the poor. That is all.
Mother General,
there are people starving right outside our door.
I see them every day from my window.
It is--
It is terrible sight.
How can we ignore that?
Where is all this suddenly coming from?
Well, it's not so sudden.
Before I became a nun, I wanted to be a missionary.
I wanted to go out and give the life of Christ
to people in the missionary countries.
At that time, when I was a girl in Skopje, Yugoslavia,
I read there were missionaries who were going to India.
So, you see.
It was always what I wanted to do--
to serve the poor purely for the love of God.
And then,
on the train to Darjeeling,
the voice was very clear.
Clear.
I cannot ignore this.
I will speak to Archbishop Périer about this,
and we'll see what he has to say about it.
If he agrees, then it's up to him to take your request to the Vatican
when he visits next month.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mother General. Thank you.
MAN: Your Eminence.
Violence in my quarter of Delhi has become endemic
due to unjust social structures and practices.
They need to be identified and abolished to ensure lasting peace.
That's all I have, Your Eminence.
Thank you.
Your Eminence, there are a number of items that I'd like to go over with you today,
but first I would like to discuss the matter
concerning one of our nuns of our Loreto order--
the principal of the convent school Saint Mary's.
Her name is Sister Teresa,
and she is seeking permission to go outside of the convent walls
to give help to the poor, or as she calls it, serve the poor.
It is a matter that was brought to my attention
by the convent's mother general.
Sister Teresa says that she heard the voice of God
telling her to follow Christ into the slums.
Has she said anything like this before?
No, Your Eminence.
She is one of the most respected teachers at the school.
She just feels that she has to follow the command of the voice she heard--
that of God.
She feels it is a second calling.
She would not question ecclesiastical authority
and has been waiting without complaint for me to speak to you
and get the Church's decision.
And she knows that nuns, once cloistered,
cannot be allowed to leave the convent?
Yes, Your Eminence, which is why she's seeking exclaustration.
Have her write a letter to the Holy Father.
Bring that letter to me.
She has already written a letter, Your Eminence.
I have given my blessing,
and the mother general gave her permission to write to Rome.
"To the Holy Father, Pope Pius XII, Rome, Italy.
I have a vocation.
God has called me to give up all and to surrender myself to him
in the service of the poorest of the poor in the slums.
Please allow me to be released from my vows
so that I may pursue my vocation.
Sister Teresa, Loreto, Entally,
Calcutta, India."
On this historic day,
India takes her place as a free and independent nation.
Freedom-loving people everywhere
will wish to share in your celebration.
In this historic moment,
let us not forget all that India owes Mahatma Gandhi.
(applauding)
So, how was New Delhi? I got the story, got it to London.
But I have a feeling this is where the action's going to be.
I agree, especially with Gandhi here and against partition.
♪♪ (children singing in foreign language)
♪♪ (continues)
♪♪ (singing ends)
It's God's will, Mother General.
I cannot ignore. I have to follow his will.
The archbishop took your letter to the cardinal four months ago,
and there's no word back from Rome.
I believe the only way for you to go outside these walls
is to apply for a decree of secularization.
You mean
leave the order?
Well, if you are so keen to go beyond these walls, then yes.
Yes, I do think it is the only way.
I have lived here as a nun for 16 years.
Mother General, I--
Loreto order is my family.
I cannot just leave.
I cannot give up my life as a nun.
Then stop this foolishness.
You are a cloistered nun.
They are not going to make an exception for you
and let you break your vows.
It's God's will, Mother General,
not mine.
I will trust in God.
I will wait to hear from Vatican,
and I will pray.
India and Pakistan have officially joined the family of nations.
It's amazing.
I mean, India has finally been given its independence from the Brits.
With that, it's going to bring about problems.
So you think India's going to suffer
under the burden of its birth as a modern nation?
Absolutely.
You've already seen the consequences of World War II
and the aftermath of the '43 famine.
You can thank the All India Congress Party for that one.
I guess what I'm trying to say, Graham, you're gonna be in Calcutta for a while.
Hope you like India.
Sister.
May I talk to you for a moment, please? Of course.
Laxmi told me that you're going to be leaving us.
Where did she hear that?
Laxmi.
Tell her.
Are you really leaving, Sister?
If it's God's will, child, yes.
But why would you want to leave us?
(sighs)
When I was young girl, I went to Catholic school.
And we had very good priests
who were helping us children to find our vocation.
And it was then that I realized
that I had the vocation to serve the poor.
This was 1922. I was 12 years old.
And I wanted to become missionary
and go out and spread the word of Christ.
But, instead, I became nun.
I became teacher.
And now I'm here with you girls, who I love.
Now time for bed. Hmm? Hmm.
Go to sleep then.
Don't worry.
I doubt I will be leaving for very long time.
(chuckles)
(claps twice)
(chuckles)
(men shouting in distance)
(shouting grows louder)
(crying)
Hmm.
Take a letter, please. Yes, Your Eminence.
To Sister M. Teresa
of the Loreto order, Calcutta.
The Holy Father, Pope Pius XII,
through the Sacred Congregation for the Religious,
has granted you permission--
"...to leave Loreto and begin your new mission.
You have been granted the indult of exclaustration
authorizing you to stay outside the Loreto convent
for one year or less,
if a shorter period is sufficient.
You may keep your religious vows as a Loreto nun
under the authority of Archbishop Périer."
Congratulations, Sister Teresa.
Thank you.
(kisses)
It's God's will, not mine.
MAN: Our main focus here at the Medical Mission Sisters
is to administer medical services to the poor.
We provide a healing presence to those in need.
The patient we're going to see now is extremely ill.
He has open sores that are infected and festering.
You'll see a lot of this in the slums of Moti Jihl
when you get back to Calcutta.
In cases like this, their own families won't take care of them,
so they bring them here to us.
(quiet gasping)
The Medical Mission Sisters have a tradition of taking care of patients like this.
Are you okay, Mary Teresa?
Let's go outside and get some air.
Please.
It's not a pleasant sight, I know, and can be very shocking.
But you'll get used to it.
Before long, you'll be washing those sores yourself--
Yes. and thinking nothing of it.
Yes, I know.
I'm so sorry, Doctor. Very, very sorry.
Maybe we should slow your training down a little.
No, no. No.
Please, I will manage.
I have much to learn before I return to Calcutta.
You're a nun, but you don't wear a habit.
And you aren't called "Sister."
No, I'm Mary Teresa now.
I wear chira because it's important for me
to mix with people, to be accepted.
Are you ready to go back inside?
Mmm. Yes, yes.
Yes. Right, let's go back to work.
You'll want to make sure your hands are clean when you prepare the wound.
You take gauze, dip it in sterile saline or sterile saltwater,
and then you wring it out.
You put the gauze in the wound, pack the wound
and then you cover it with a gauze square.
And then you wrap it up with a gauze roll.
You see? Yes, Doctor.
This patient has an infection in his abdomen.
It requires antibiotics.
We need to give him an injection of penicillin into his arm.
Sister Margaret.
First thing we do is we get all the air out.
Then we clean him with alcohol and gauze.
And then very gently inject the needle into his arm
and push very slowly.
And when we're done, as we pull it out, we hold the injection site.
Yes, Doctor.
VAN EXEM: There was no doubt that she had found her calling.
Dr. Ahmed tried to make her tougher,
but there was no way she was going to lose her compassion.
And when she had completed her medical training,
she headed back to Calcutta
and to the Little Sisters of the Poor at the convent of St. Joseph's,
where she also stayed while looking for a more permanent place to live.
Is it true that she entered the slums with five rupees in her pocket?
Yes, that is also true.
Five rupees was the equivalent
of, say, one English pound at the time
or an American dollar.
Makes you wonder where she got the courage.
VAN EXEM: On the first day she entered the slums,
she took with her Veronica Gomes,
a sodality member of the parish of Santa Teresa.
That was the church she had been attending since returning to Calcutta from Patna.
Veronica took her around Moti Jihl,
the poorest, wretchedest quarter of the city.
It's the section which began just outside Loreto.
And they first stopped at Taltala,
another impoverished neighborhood of Calcutta
where poor Catholics were known to live.
Though she expected it, she was still shocked
at the extent of the poverty, of the suffering.
She had with her no money with which to help them otherwise.
So all she brought with her that first day in the slums
was an abundance of love
in her heart and in her soul.
(insects buzzing)
No.
No, no, no.
This is dirty. No, you don't eat.
This will make you sick.
What are you doing? Sick.
Who are you to take food from my child?
No, I don't take-- What are you doing here?
What is going on here? The woman took food from our child.
No. Who are you?
I'm Mary Teresa.
(speaking Bengali) (Bengali)
...your child to read and write, if you like.
I don't want money. No!
We do not want you here.
We do not need your help.
We are Hindu.
And do not teach our children about your god.
Leave.
Just a minute.
This is not a place for you, a Christian teacher.
You don't belong here.
It's best for you to go.
I may not be wanted here,
but I am needed.
TERESA: Dear Father van Exem,
I am beginning my work in the slums
while also looking for a more permanent place to live.
I have walked and walked until my legs ache.
I keep thinking about how the poor must ache
in body and in soul
while looking for food, for help.
This work is far more difficult than I had imagined it would be.
Never in all my life did I know
there was such suffering in the world as I have seen here.
VAN EXEM: It was only nine months after partition.
The British had relinquished control of India
after nearly 200 years in power.
So any foreigner at that time would have been viewed with suspicion
and would be identified with the oppressors,
which the British were considered, as well as occupiers.
So, for her to voluntarily go into that world
and overcome that suspicion,
she had her work cut out for her.
(chattering in Bengali)
No. Boys, boys, boys.
I don't have money.
I'm poor like you. Hmm?
Mm-hmm. But I do have some food for you.
Wait.
(speaks Bengali)
Atal Babu. Please.
Atal Babu.
These children, I could teach them to read and to write.
Hmm?
Those are orphaned children. There are many of them like that.
Go ahead, teach them to read if you like.
Thank you.
Atal Babu,
I'm not here to convert anybody to my faith.
I'm only interested to teach children to read, to write.
And to help. To help people in what way I can.
(shouting in Bengali)
You want?
You want? Come.
Come.
Here, here. Come, come, come.
Come.
You want bread?
You want?
I am Mary Teresa. I am teacher.
You boys, you ever been to school?
No?
You would like to go to school?
Yes?
Come, sit down.
I will teach you alphabet.
You know what it is, alphabet, hmm?
A, B, C, D.
Come, sit.
I will teach you. We will learn.
So, here.
"A." "A."
Good. "A."
BOTH: "A."
"B." "B."
"C." "C."
Good.
"A."
ALL: "A."
"B."
"C."
Good. Number four is--
"D." "D."
Very good!
We have now learned first four letters of alphabet.
You want to learn more?
Yes?
Come.
"E."
ALL: "E." Very good.
You want to learn more? Yes.
Come. Come join.
Now we have
"A." ALL: "A."
"B." "B."
"C." "C."
"D." "D."
"E." "E."
Good.
Now, you, which is this one?
"A." That's good.
You want to learn more? Yes.
Come. Come.
"F." "F."
Good. Now, all together, from beginning.
ALL: A, B, C,
D, E, F, G,
H, I.
That's so good, everybody!
Clap. Clap!
Yes. Good. Good, good.
"But the crocodile could not convince him.
'At last,' he thought, 'Somehow I must get the monkey's heart.'
So he then thought of a plan and he swam very fast to the monkey.
He reached the jungle tree and"-- Atal is wrong.
She should not be here.
He should not let her teach our children.
She will teach them about her Christian god.
You will see.
What is she doing here? Why did she come here?
A white woman?
"The crocodile could not convince her."
Come, we'll speak to Abu Atal about it.
You want her to leave? You talk to Atal.
You want that Christian woman here?
I have no problems with her.
They have nothing. We have nothing.
Maybe the Christian woman can give them something we don't have.
You will see!
She will teach them about her god. That's why she's here.
(exclaims)
(speaks Bengali)
(exclaims)
"'At last,' he thought,
'somehow, I must get the monkey's heart.'
He then thought of a plan, and he swam very fast to the monkey."
(child giggling)
You, Christian woman.
We do not want you here. Leave our village.
You are here to convert our children to your Christian god.
Go home. No.
Go home.
I am not here to convert your children to my faith.
This you must believe.
I am only here to help, to serve you
and to give your children possibility for life.
That's all. What are you doing, Kavitha? Huh?
What's happening here, Maharaj? What are you doing?
This white woman should go home.
She's stealing our children's souls.
She is here to help our children, Maharaj!
She has not once brought up her faith or her religion.
She only teaches them to read and write.
I've been attending her class every day with my daughter.
See?
She is evil.
She does not belong here.
She's even managed to influence her with her devilish ways.
Dinsha, go. Get Atal, quickly.
You want this Christian woman here?
(grunts)
She will convert our children. You'll see!
(shouts)
(speaks Bengali)
(Bengali)
Thank you. You're welcome, Sister.
I'm Ashwani, Dinsha's husband.
Oh. Ashwani.
Oh, good.
Come, come. Yes.
TERESA: Dear God,
I know you want me to be a free nun
covered with the poverty of the cross.
But I have been experiencing doubt,
loneliness,
the temptation to return to Loreto and convent life.
But, today, I learned an important lesson.
I went back to Loreto,
and I know I belong with the poor.
Of free choice, my God,
and out of love for you,
I want to remain with the poor
and do whatever be your holy will.
Fella, stop.
Sister?
Shubashini!
What-- What are you doing here?
I've come to help you, Sister.
How did you know where to find me?
I heard that you were at St. Joseph's Convent,
so I went there and met Veronica Gomes.
She said I'd find you here.
I brought some medical supplies. I thought you might need some.
Is it all right that I'm here?
(laughing)
Yes?
Come, show me what you have brought me. Okay.
(baby crying)
(baby fussing)
Ah.
Thank God.
She's beautiful baby.
Yes, Sister, she is. (laughs)
Shubashini, are you all right?
I'm all right.
Come. Let's go back in.
YOUNG VAN EXEM: Dearest Sister M. Teresa,
I received your letter and can only imagine how difficult it must be
to witness all the suffering you are seeing each day.
The work you are doing is being talked about in the city.
The officials at the municipality have expressed their appreciation.
I have given thought to your need
to find a more permanent place to live.
I've spoken to Jesuit Father Julian Henry
who told me that he had suggested you might live at Krishnagar,
but that your feeling was they might try to make things easy for you
because you know most of the nuns and teachers there
and it is your desire to have no special treatment.
May I suggest that you go see the Gomes brothers.
They are from Bangladesh,
but maintain a house here in the city at 14 Creek Lane.
Talk to Nicholas.
He's a devout Christian who might be able to help you.
You are very much missed by the nuns and students at Loreto
who wish you the utmost success in your mission.
May God be with you.
Yours devotedly in Christ,
Father C. van Exem, SJ.
Yes? You are Mr. Gomes?
Yes. I am Mary Teresa.
Father van Exem told me you might be expecting me.
Oh, yes. Come in, please. Thank you.
This way.
I thought you would be wearing a habit.
I was told you were a nun.
I am a nun,
but I wear a chira so I can mix in with the people of Moti Jihl.
My work is with the poor.
That's what Father van Exem told me.
What can I do for you?
I need a place to stay.
If you have something-- anything-- I would be very grateful.
My brothers spend most of their time in Bangladesh.
The upper floor is vacant.
I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I let you use a room up there.
That's very, very kind of you, Mr. Gomes.
I'm very quiet person. You would not even know I was here.
I leave very early in the morning.
Coming back, returning late in the evening.
I will be no trouble.
This is a room you could use, if you like.
Oh.
I can bring in more furniture.
No, no, no. Thank you.
I think I would prefer we move furniture out.
I need very little.
If it's acceptable with you, I would just bring in a chair
and some packing crates.
These I can use for a desk and a table.
All right.
Sister, I'm afraid he's dying.
I know.
A little bit of God's love. That's all we can do.
Yes.
Help me to lift his head.
Yes.
(gasps)
Yes.
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
It's so sad.
The greatest suffering is to feel alone,
unwanted,
unloved.
But he's not alone now.
He's here with us.
TERESA: Dear Father van Exem,
Thank you so much for your introduction to Mr. Gomes.
He is wonderful man
and is allowing me to stay in his house.
He says I can use the upper floor
as the first home for my charity.
Today, Father Bawens, the parish priest at St. Teresa's,
came by to bless the house,
and tears rolled and rolled.
I have been experiencing great loneliness.
After being at Loreto for so many years,
always surrounded by nuns and students,
I did not expect how alone I would feel in my new life.
I wonder, how long will my heart suffer?
Pray for me.
Let me not draw back from the sacrifice I have made of my free choice
and conviction.
What is it, Sister? This letter is from Archbishop Périer.
If I'm not given permission for extension,
I'll have to go back to Loreto, and we'll have to give up this work.
Read it.
"Holy See has granted you permission
to continue the work for three more years."
God.
Thanks God.
(men shouting)
(shouting in Bengali)
Sister! Sister, it's Kavitha.
She's having a baby, and something is wrong.
Wait there.
(crying, grunting)
Kavitha.
What are you doing here? Get out!
Maharaj, please. I asked her to come here.
She has training, and Kavitha needs her help now.
Please let her. Please! Please, Maharaj! Go out!
Go out!
Kavitha. Kavitha.
(groaning, grunting)
(screaming)
It's breech baby. Breech baby. Sister.
(Kavitha wailing)
(screaming)
(screaming continues)
Shh, shh, shh. Kavitha. Kavitha.
(Kavitha groaning)
(groaning stops)
(baby crying) (cheering)
(crying continues)
(fussing)
(chattering)
(no audible dialogue)
(horns honking)
MAN (on radio): US cruiser Milwaukee, a 28-year-old four-stacker
comes home from lend-lease duty in Russia.
At anchor in Delaware Bay, the warship is manned by a Russian crew
and is first of 31 fighting ships leased to Russia during the war
that will be returned to the USA.
(phone ringing)
Hello?
Graham, I've got a story you might want to look into.
A nun is doing some interesting charity work in the slums near where you are.
Could make for a nice human interest story when you get some time.
I'll look into it. (clears throat)
So, what is it you girls wanted to talk to me about?
Mother General, we've decided that we want to be nuns.
That's wonderful news.
Have you discussed this with your parents?
You think they would object?
Well, my mother has already objected.
Why?
Because she doesn't want me to work amongst the untouchables.
And why would you be working amongst the untouchables?
Because, Mother General, we want to work with Sister Teresa.
Yes.
I see.
I think I would listen to your mother.
- And what about your parents? - I haven't told them yet.
Because?
Because they wouldn't approve.
I know what I want to do.
I've already been helping Sister Teresa in the evenings after school.
My parents want me to study in Europe, but I want to stay here.
I want to become a nun and work with Sister Teresa.
Go home and talk to your parents, and then come and talk to me.
Go.
Thank you, Mother. Thank you.
(door closes)
VAN EXEM: Mother General did not approve of their wanting to work
with Sister Teresa,
and she made her feelings known.
From the moment the two girls told her--
(coughs)
Thank you.
That they wanted to be nuns
and dedicate themselves to the work of their former teacher,
a concern about other students doing the same
began to worry Mother General.
And when Sister Teresa got wind of that,
she wrote me a letter.
This letter.
"Father, I am saddened
as I write this letter,
but you are my spiritual director,
so I must share it with you.
Mother General is afraid"--
...that I am a danger to the Loreto nuns and students.
Every means has been used to not render any help to me.
She has forbidden them to have anything to do with me.
(no audible dialogue)
But still the students come.
First, Shubashini Das,
then Deepa Ambereesh, then others.
Every time someone new comes,
there is anxiety at Loreto convent.
That is why I have made provisions for those who come
to study at home for the matric and senior training.
With all they do to prevent them from joining,
there are more and more girls wanting to join.
Your Grace, the situation with Sister Teresa
has gotten quite out of control.
She's stealing our students, Your Grace.
A total of 10 of them have left Loreto to join her.
Did they graduate before leaving?
Some did, some did not.
Give me a number.
Eight of them graduated before joining her.
Two did not.
Well, you should encourage them to graduate before they join her.
Other than that, I don't see a problem.
They would be throwing away their lives, their education,
if they worked in places like the slums.
If they wish to become nuns, they must join the Loreto order
and follow the strict vows that we all do
and the vocation of the order.
What is your opinion here, Celeste?
My opinion, Your Grace,
is that these girls are surrendering themselves to God one by one
and voluntarily choosing to serve God through service to the poor,
as Sister Teresa has.
I'm sure this is due in whole or in part to the influence and training
they've received at Loreto.
What better way for them to serve God
than to do so at the supervision
of the former headmistress, Sister Teresa?
What is it you would have me do, Mother General?
The Vatican granted Sister Teresa an extension
to the original time it had given her.
Your Grace, I would like you to see that she does not get another extension
and that she be required to return to Loreto.
No, put them here.
Bandage.
Good morning, Sister.
Oh, good morning, Mr. Gomes.
I see you've put this floor to good use.
Yes. Yes, we have.
Girls and I thank you.
You're a very, very kind, generous man for letting us stay here.
You're most welcome, Sister.
This arrived yesterday. I think it's for one of your girls.
Oh, it's for Deepa. Yes, thank you. I'll make sure she gets it.
Have a great day. Thank you.
Let me show you. Yes, Sister.
(children laughing)
What are you going to do?
What can I do?
(sniffles)
They're my parents, no?
But doesn't it matter that you want to stay here and be a nun?
No.
They want me to study in England,
get married, have children,
make them grandparents.
My mother finds this caste system we have in India acceptable.
But I don't, so she just doesn't understand
why I would want to go into the slums
and work with the smaller caste people.
She just doesn't understand.
I think you should talk to Sister Teresa.
Talk to her?
She's in a meeting right now with Father van Exem.
Come on.
I admire your ambition, Sister,
but the last time the Vatican approved a new congregation
was a hundred years ago.
I doubt you would stand a chance of getting approval from the Holy See.
I would like to apply anyway, Father.
Are you not satisfied with the three-year extension
you were given to continue your work?
Yes, yes, Father, I'm very grateful.
But when the three years is ended, what then?
Must I apply again for extension?
And what if they say no?
No, this work is too important to abandon,
and Mother General is against what I'm doing.
I'm afraid this could have an effect.
They might refuse extension. No, I have no choice.
I must apply for recognition as a congregation.
I need to separate now from Loreto.
It's very clear.
How many of you are there?
Twelve. Twelve now, more coming.
The past 10 girls were from Loreto-- students I taught.
But then more came, and we have doctors and nurses, volunteers.
They come twice a week.
Yes, the more the work spreads,
the more clear it becomes it is his will.
You know, in order to be recognized,
you would have to show cause as to why a new order is necessary.
Yes, Father, I have been working.
Here are documents.
And rights of constitutions.
It's a draft proposal.
Do you have a name for this order?
Yes, Father.
The Missionaries of Charity.
It seems well prepared.
I'll finish going through it,
then I'll get it to Archbishop Périer.
Thank you, Father.
Your Grace, she even has the city's municipal cooperation behind her now.
And a reporter showed up at my office
and wanted to know how he could get an interview with her.
I think it's time we demand she return to her duties as a Loreto nun.
Her applying for recognition as a congregation is absurd.
Your Grace, she has told me she feels a separation from Loreto is necessary.
Separation?
Yes. Your Grace.
But what about her obligations, her vows?
She's requesting secularization, an annulment of her vows.
Secularization?
Yes. She feels it's the only way.
Exclaustration would allow her to retain her vows as a Loreto nun
should she not succeed at what she's doing.
Secularization would rule that out.
She would not be allowed to return.
She's aware of that, Your Grace,
but she's confident that this safeguard is not necessary.
Her inspiration, she's convinced, is coming directly from God,
so, to her, there could be no question of failure.
Leaving the door open at Loreto is not necessary.
What's this?
It's her application for recognition as a congregation.
All the documents are there, including the rights of constitutions.
All right, I'll go through it.
If I find that everything is in order,
you can tell Sister Teresa I'll pass it on to the Vatican.
(murmuring prayer) (knocking on door)
As it was-- (sighs)
What is it, Deepa?
Do you have a minute, Sister?
Yes, of course.
Come.
Sister, that letter that you gave me?
Hmm.
It was from my parents.
I thought so.
And they want me to go home.
They think what I'm doing here is throwing my life away.
And they're ashamed
that I'm working amongst those who are shunned by the society.
Deepa,
your family is from higher caste.
You must have known this was possibility.
Yes, Sister, but it's so unfair.
This is where I want to be.
What do I do, Sister?
We pray.
We trust in God.
God will give us answer.
Hmm? Come.
Get some sleep. Try not to worry.
Hmm?
All will be well.
(sniffles) Good night, Sister.
Good night.
(chattering)
Excuse me.
Are you Sister Teresa? Yes.
My name is Graham Widdecombe. I'm a reporter from London.
I'm in town doing a follow-up story on post-partition India,
and I've been hearing a lot about you.
You're a newspaper reporter, Mr. Widdecombe?
No, radio.
I'm not very interesting, but if you want to write a story, talk to the poor.
Yes, but it's your work that's being talked about all over the city.
It's not my work, Mr. Widdecombe. It's God's work.
I'm just a pencil in God's hand.
But, Sister, if you could give me just a minute--
No time for talk, Mr. Widdecombe. Lots to do.
"A pencil in God's hand."
TERESA, CHILDREN: Arabian Sea.
Good. And to east is Bay of Bengal.
ALL: Bay of Bengal.
Very good. Now, who can tell me where on map is Calcutta?
Yes.
Very good!
Yes!
Make path. Make path.
What is it, Father? Something wrong?
No, Sister, there is nothing wrong.
We shall now erect their group into a religious congregation.
We have with great care scrutinized their way of living and of working
and given diligent consideration
to the purpose they have in view.
This earnest examination led us to the conclusion
that there is no other congregation currently in existence
which answers the promise which this new institute intends
and that, consequently, in erecting it
into a religious congregation
for the relief of so many and in such dire need,
shall redound to the greater glory of God.
In consequence, we do, by the present decree,
to the greater glory of God
and/or the promotion in these parts of the kingdom
of truth, justice, peace
and charity of Christ the Savior,
erect and institute a new religious congregation
which shall have for its name
the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity.
We welcome your new order to the Catholic dioceses of Calcutta,
Mother Teresa.
ALL: We vow to care for the hungry,
the naked and the homeless,
the crippled, the blind, the lepers,
all those people who feel unwanted, unloved,
uncared for throughout society,
people who have become a burden to society and are shunned.
Giving Christ's love in our spiritual work of mercy.
♪ The night is dark ♪
♪ And I am far from home ♪
The body of Christ. Amen.
♪ Lead thou me on ♪
The body of Christ. Amen.
♪ Keep thou my feet ♪
The body of Christ. Amen.
♪ I do not ask to see ♪
♪ The distant scene ♪
♪ One step enough for me ♪
VAN EXEM: Mother's belief in prayer was the foundation of her faith.
She believed prayer was food for the soul
and, if you prayed deeply, your prayer would be answered.
So, the call that she got on the train
in 1946
was now officially recognized and confirmed by the church.
Yes.
And she was humbled,
seeing all that God had done.
Mother had been walking through an impoverished neighborhood in Calcutta,
and she came upon a poor soul who was dying in the street.
A poor woman who had been just left to die.
It was this incident that motivated her
to think of creating an official hospice.
(chattering) (phone ringing)
Excuse me. The health officer will see you now.
This way, please.
(speaks Bengali) (Bengali)
Sit down. Thank you.
So, Mother Teresa,
you've made quite an impression on the authorities in the city
and I've been asked to accommodate you in any way I can.
Thank you. Very kind.
We have a need for a facility
so we can bring the abandoned who are dying on our streets in
so they can be allowed to die with dignity.
Do you know of such a place, and can it be made available?
You mean a hospital?
No. No.
A place where the destitute who are left to die on our streets
can be brought in and given a bed and food and cared for
and allowed to die surrounded by loving people.
There are many on the streets.
The need is straightaway.
Yes, I see.
I see them myself every day.
If not a hospital,
what would it be then?
A home for the dying.
There is a place not very far from here that might work for you.
It's a building in the precincts of Kalighat Temple.
This is the building.
Is this something that would suit you?
I would like to see inside.
It's an abandoned Kali temple.
If you like it, perhaps I can arrange for the city to let you use it.
I would be very grateful, thank you.
There is a dharmsala inside,
a place where Hindus used to rest
after their worship of the Kali goddess.
I think it would give you the space you need for many people.
This is perfect.
When will we know?
I'll bring it up in a meeting tomorrow at the municipality.
I like that it was a center of worship for Hindus.
Would you like to see the dharmsala?
Yes, please.
This way.
This is the place where people would rest
after they worshipped.
Is this something that would suit you?
Yes.
WOMAN: Just think of Jesus.
Put your hand in his hand and walk along with him.
Walk ahead.
If you look back, you'll go back.
I'll miss you.
And I you.
I'm already homesick.
(knocking)
DEEPA: Mother? Is everything all right?
(knocking continues) Your light is on, and it's quite late.
Is everything all right, Mother?
Sister Gertrude, come.
I was going down the hall,
and I saw there was light coming out from your room.
I know you always retire late, but it's later than usual.
What happened?
Is everything all right?
My mother and my sister--
I was hoping they would be able to come for a visit.
It's been 28 years since I've seen them.
But Albanian government has refused permission
for them to leave the country.
I'm terribly sorry.
So, we have to be up early in the morning.
We must get some-- some rest.
Good night. Yes.
And--
And we have much work to do.
We must be up very early in the morning.
Are you going to be okay? Yes, yes.
We must get some rest now.
Go to bed.
Good night, Mother.
(door closes)
(men shouting)
Mother? Mother?
Hmm.
I don't know if you remember me.
I remember you, Mr. Widdecombe.
Yes. If you have a minute, I'd like to have a word with you.
As you can see, Mr. Widdecombe, we're very busy here today.
It's not good time. But it would only take a few minutes.
There are so many people interested in knowing more about you.
Mr. Widdecombe, it's not about me.
I'm just doing God's work.
Yes, well, can we talk about the work you're doing here then?
Well, what we are doing here is setting up a home
where people who are dying on the streets
can be brought in so they can die with loving faces around them.
Wait. Mother Teresa, if you would just hold up for a moment--
Mr. Widdecombe, getting interview with me is waste of your time.
Hmm?
Look outside.
Come. Hmm?
The poor are everywhere.
Write about them.
That's the important story. I'm just an instrument.
Yes, but the people want to hear about you.
Are you going to change to television, Mr. Widdecombe?
I hear it's very big in England now, maybe going to take over radio.
That will never happen, and I will never be a television reporter.
This is not good. Let's start again.
(angry chattering)
(engine starts)
VAN EXEM: Archbishop Périer and I had been getting letters
from Mother Teresa.
And those letters kept getting darker and darker,
revealing her spiritual darkness was growing.
And getting news like what she had gotten from the Albanian government
certainly didn't help.
But she seemed cheerful in her daily life
and tireless in her work.
But inside--
(sighs) inside she was experiencing a terrible emptiness.
The feeling that she had been abandoned
by God.
Nathan, can you hear me? We have a pretty bad connection.
I can hear you, Graham. It's the way it always is.
Okay, just say when.
Go ahead. Anytime.
This is a somewhat unusual story from what you are used to me reporting,
as I am normally on assignment as a war correspondent.
But here in Calcutta, there is a growing awareness
of a Catholic nun who has been doing charity work with the poor
that has caught the attention of everyone,
from the local municipal authorities here
to the Vatican in Rome.
Her name is Mother Teresa,
and she has a growing number of followers in her new congregation
known as the Missionaries of Charity,
erected just two years ago by the Catholic church.
What's unusual about her is she won't grant me or anyone else an interview,
believing that she is an instrument of God and doing his work.
She refuses to take any form of credit.
To the locals in the poorest sections of this city, she is a saint.
But to a certain segment of the Hindu population here,
she has come under fire, if not threat,
as she has set up a home for the dying in one of their abandoned temples,
housing given to her by the local municipal authority.
Mother, it's getting worse out there. I know.
But I don't really think they'll do anything. Come.
But do you think we should get word out to the municipal authority?
(shouting in Bengali) (cheering)
How are you today?
Why are you helping me?
(coughing)
I am Hindu.
Because in you, I see Jesus.
And I love you as God loves you.
Now lie down.
(angry shouting)
You just keep working.
Hmm?
Mother?
Mother, you can't go out there. It's not safe for you.
Mother!
I'm going to speak to them. No, Mother. Wait.
Please wait. Mother.
Mother, please don't go outside. We need to summon help.
I agree with Sister Agnes, Mother.
The situation outside has got out of control.
We need to get some help.
Please don't go out. Please. Please.
(shouting continues)
(crowd quiets)
You are to leave this temple now!
(shouting resumes)
This is our temple, our sacred place!
You are desecrating it with your god!
Please. Please.
Municipal authority told us that we could use this temple.
But if it is problem for you us being here,
you should talk to municipality.
This place is the holiest place for us!
Hindus! (shouting)
You are not welcome here! What you are doing here?
You are Hindu!
There is death in there!
It is impure in there!
What's going on here?
This Christian woman, she is to leave this temple now!
Silence! Quiet!
And why is she to leave?
She does not belong in our temple!
(shouts)
It is this Christian woman who is taking care of our dying.
If you took care of those who are dying in our streets,
perhaps municipality would not have given her our temple!
That does not matter!
She is to leave this temple now!
It is you who has to leave.
All of you, go home!
The health officer has given these people this abandoned temple.
It is not a matter for you to decide.
You will leave immediately, or else I will summon the municipal authority
and the commissioner of police!
Now go home!
Go!
VAN EXEM: Mother didn't have any more trouble with the locals after that.
The incident marked the beginning of a lifelong relationship with them
and her love for them.
Shankarsinh, could you please help me to take--
Put it over there. It's so heavy.
Mother's-- her trouble with the locals might have ended,
but her spiritual suffering had not.
There are letters from her in this box
that give clear proof.
Of course, she would not show her sense of loss to the young nuns in the order.
And it was Mother's wish that no one read these letters.
She wanted them destroyed.
But the darkness she lived with
was an essential element of who she was,
and her letters document what she went through.
You are the postulator
for her cause for sainthood, and I--
I want you to read these letters.
There is no stronger testimony to her holiness,
to her worthiness of sainthood.
And should these letters one day be made public,
many people who go through similar trials
will benefit from them.
I have been charged with the task of postulator for the cause
of beatification and canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
In the years since I began my research, I have gathered documents
and testimony which have led me to a conclusion.
She possessed depths of holiness
far deeper than any of us might have imagined.
As you know, I have been given letters.
Letters that she wrote to her spiritual advisers,
among them Archbishop of Calcutta Ferdinand Périer
and Father Celeste van Exem, her spiritual adviser.
The letters contain information
that document her worthiness of canonization.
The reality of her life was this--
she suffered greatly,
stemming from her belief that she had been abandoned by God.
Little was known about her spiritual burdens
or her personal struggles
until these letters became available.
They reveal the spiritual turbulence
and intensity of her life and work
over a period of six decades.
As her order expanded
with permission from Pope Paul VI in 1965,
she took no credit for her accomplishments.
She did everything possible to divert the attention she received to God,
insisting that the work she was doing
was his work, not hers.
Her contributions in caring for the sick and dying
and the homeless
made her admired throughout the world.
(applause)
And though she was not one to accept any awards,
she was named recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize,
a ceremony which she agreed to attend
only after being persuaded
that it would call attention to the world's poor.
I'm very happy to receive this award
in the name of the hungry,
the naked, the homeless,
the crippled, the blind,
the lepers
and all those people who feel unwanted,
unloved,
uncared for--
the throwaway of society.
And as we are gathered here together today
to thank God for the Nobel Peace Prize,
I think it would be beautiful to pray the prayer
of St. Francis of Assisi
which always surprises me very much.
We pray this prayer every day after Holy Communion,
as it is very fitting for each one of us.
Lord,
make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred,
may I bring love.
Where there is wrong,
may I bring spirit of forgiveness.
Where there is discord,
may I bring harmony.
Where there is error,
may I bring truth.
Where there is doubt,
may I bring faith.
Where there is despair,
may I bring hope,
that where there are shadows,
I may bring light,
that where there is sadness,
I may bring joy.
Amen.
And, you know, I always wondered
if 400, 500 years ago,
when St. Francis of Assisi composed this prayer,
that they had the same difficulties as we have today
because it is very fitting for us also.
Thank you.
BEN: During her life,
she became an icon of compassion to people of all religions.
Her work gave voice to the poor in a way that was never possible before.
Archbishop Périer believed that her loneliness
and her feeling of abandonment
had its root in the mystery of Jesus' mission.
The darkness she endured was an essential element of her vocation,
and the letters she wrote
an important testimony to her legacy.
She requested the letters be destroyed,
fearing that, to quote her,
"When the beginning will be known, people will think more of me
and less of Jesus."
To her, she was just a servant of God,
God using her nothingness
for his greatness.
Today my work is done.
I submit to you all of my findings, all my documents and testimony
as we wait for a second miracle.
Based on my findings, I must conclude
that I cannot imagine anyone more worthy of canonization
than Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu,
Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
WOMAN: ♪ And I can barely look at you ♪
♪ But every single time I do ♪
♪ I know we'll make it anywhere ♪
♪ Away from here ♪
♪ Light up, light up ♪
♪ As if you have a choice ♪
♪ Even if you cannot hear my voice ♪
♪ I'll be right beside you, dear ♪
♪ To think I might not see those eyes ♪
♪ Makes it so hard not to cry ♪
♪ And as we say our long good-byes ♪
♪ I nearly do ♪
♪ Mmm, mmm ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Light up, light up ♪
♪ As if you have a choice ♪
♪ Even if you cannot hear my voice ♪
♪ I'll be right beside you, dear ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ Louder, louder ♪
♪ And we'll run for our lives ♪
♪ I can hardly speak I understand ♪
♪ Why you can't raise your voice to say ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Ah-ah, ah-ah ♪
♪ Ah, ah-ah, ah-ah ♪
♪ Ah-ah, ah-ah ♪
♪♪ (vocalizing)
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ Oh-oh ♪
♪ Light up, light up ♪
♪ As if you have a choice ♪
♪ Even if you cannot hear my voice ♪
♪ I'll be right beside you, dear ♪
♪ Oh-oh ♪
♪ Louder, louder ♪
♪ And we'll run for our lives ♪
♪ I can hardly speak I understand ♪
♪ Why you can't raise your voice to say ♪
♪ Ooh-hoo ♪
♪♪ (vocalizing)
♪♪ (ends)
♪♪ (man vocalizing)
♪♪ (vocalizing continues)
Captioned by Captions, Inc.