In raising Mother Teresa to the altars on Sunday, Pope Francis lauded not only her unique witness to the mercy of God but the work of countless volunteers who for decades have flocked to share in her mission to the poorest. Thousands of volunteers, exuberant fans of the new saint, were in St Peter’s Square for the ceremony. Some of them had a special role – they were pizza chefs from Naples who had volunteered to cook a free lunch for 1,500 homeless people afterwards. It was a fitting gesture.
“How many hearts have been comforted by volunteers!” the Pope declared. “How many hands they have held; how many tears they have wiped away; how much love has been poured out in hidden, humble and selfless service!”
08 September 2016, The Tablet
Volunteer recruits on true front line
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User Comments (1)
Over the years, countless volunteers from around the world have both given and benefitted from volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity. Not just in being exposed to a different culture, both geographical and religious, but through the extraordinary spiritual and personal growth that often accompanied their work. There is no longer, I believe, a formal network of MC volunteers, the erstwhile 'Co-Workers of the Missionaries of Charity' having been consigned to history when they poked their noses into where it was considered those nozzles did not belong. That's a pity, because I'm sure there's a wealth of testimony and insightful anecdotes in their number that can offer relevance and value to both young and old today.