South India was a place of deeper faith, but the values are changing, feels Sister Mary Joseph, the newly-elected Superior General of Missionaries of Charity. There are lonely people, living alone, as their children have gone abroad, she added.
At Mother’s House in Kolkata, Sister Joseph succeeds Sister Prema. The Missionaries, established by Mother Teresa, is known for their work among the destitute and the needy.
Responding to a query on challenges visible in southern Indian states, the Superior General said that the values are fast changing. “The South was a place of a deeper faith. People were very religious, therefore, they had deeper values of loving, caring. All these beautiful values that come from praying… Now I see that values are changing. This is my kind of sadness for Kerala. When materialism comes in, we somehow lose our humanity, and that’s a pity,” Sister Joseph said.
“Because we are created, Mother Teresa used to say, for greater things - to love and to be loved. That’s a pity. We have money in the pocket, but feel absolutely rejected, all alone,” she added.
The Sister, who has spent considerable time abroad, said that like in the West, things have changed for the South too. “When a nation or state becomes overly materialistic, which means over materialistic things spiritual values are lost, and this is a great pity,” she said.
Missionaries have many homes in south India for destitute women and handicapped children. An issue of concern, mentions Sister Joseph, is that “there are lonely people in the home, left alone, because their children are gone abroad. So we visit them and help out… whatever the people need”. The Missionaries, in general, is also trying to reach out to people living alone, visiting them, while the poor on the street remains a priority, the Sister added.
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