MC Family – Male Branches.
The Male Branches of the Missionaries of Charity
Missionaries of Charity Brothers
“Brother Andrew and the brothers are the gift of God to the Church and the whole world, the fruit of much prayer and sacrifice. Right from the very beginning I had been praying very much that God would give us someone who would give all for Jesus and at the same time love the poorest of the poor.” (Mother Teresa)
History
The Missionaries of Charity Brothers were founded by Mother Teresa in Calcutta in 1963, to do work similar to that of the Sisters, who were already well established serving the poorest people of Calcutta andmany other places. The congregation was founded with the same spirit and charism as the Sisters as Mother Teresa saw that God would also want to call men to share in this way of life.
For the first three years, the Brothers, as a pious union, were under the care of Mother Teresa and her sisters. During that time Mother Teresa was waiting for someone suitable to take up the leadership of the Brothers and so enable them to become a religious congregation.
In 1966, Fr. Ian Travers-Ball, an Australian Jesuit working in India, decided to join the Brothers and took the name “Brother Andrew”. Seeing his attraction to this vocation, Mother Teresa saw him as the answer to her prayers and asked him to take over the formation and leadership of the Brothers.
From his arrival in 1966 until the Third General Chapter in 1986, Brother Andrew was the General Servant (Superior General). He formed and governed the brothers during those years, helping them to find their own identity as religious brothers within the M.C. family. Although the charism comes from Mother Teresa, Brother Andrew gave the Brothers a particular appreciation of their own poverty as instruments in God’s hands, and of the wonderful fact that God uses weak and wounded men like themselves for his own work. Because of his important role in their history, the Brothers consider Brother Andrew as their “co-founder” with Mother Teresa.
For the first 10 years, the congregation grew mainly in India with Indian vocations. Since then, many houses have been established in other countries and men of other nationalities have also joined. As of 2022, there are about 385 professed Brothers with 71 houses in 21 countries.
Way of Life:
The religious congregation of the Missionaries of Charity Brothers is of pontifical right. Brothers profess the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and a special fourth vow of whole-hearted and freeservice to the poorest of the poor.
They live this life of consecration supported by a regular life of prayer, including daily Eucharist and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Brothers live a close community life: living, working and praying together.
The poor and simple lifestyle of the Brothers, after the example of Jesus, allows them to share something of the poverty of the people they serve and helps the brothers to feel at home among the poor.
The brothers have no religious habit but wear ordinary clothes with a crucifix pinned over their heart as a sign of their religious consecration.
Apostolate
The mission of the Missionary of Charity Brother is to be a friend for the poorest people, especially those most rejected and abandoned. In this way, the brothers love and serve Jesus in His “distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor” (Mother Teresa).
The brother offers himself as an instrument of God’s love for the poor person and expresses his friendshipby comforting and caring for them in their immediate needs. The nature of this loving service differs according to the needs of the poorest of that place, but it is usually a service through ordinary, humble works of day-to-day care and concern, always in personal contact with the poor person.
Qualifications for Candidates
Candidates must have a desire to love and serve Jesus through an intense prayer life and simple, wholehearted service to the poor. They are required to be healthy in body and mind and thus able to bearthe hardships of this vocation. They must be able to acquire knowledge, be of cheerful disposition, and have sound judgement. Candidates are required to have completed the equivalent of a High School education in their country. We do not normally accept men over the age of 35 unless they have lived in another religious community. Though ours is primarily a vocation to brotherhood, we can accept candidates who are already ordained priests.
Missionaries of Charity Brothers
Contact information:
For further information contact: mcbgen@gmail.com or visit Missionaries of Charity Brothers.
India
Missionaries of Charity Brothers
7, Mansatala Row, Kidderpur
Kolkata, West Bengal 700023
India
Tel: +91-704-425-0478
Email: mcbgen@gmail.com
Bangladesh
Missionaries of Charity Brothers
“Shanti Bhaban”
Charerhat, South Khalishpur
Khulna-9000
Bangladesh
Tel: +39-065-236-1741
Email: mcbkhulna2@gmail.com
Far East
Missionaries of Charity Brothers
132A/Brgy Luciano
Indang Road
Trece Martires City, Cavite
Phillipines
Tel: +63-46-4191710
Email: mcbrregcentreph@yahoo.com
North America
Missionaries of Charity
1316 South Westlake Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90006
U.S.A.
Tel: +1-213-380-5225
Latin America
Misioneros de la Caridad
6a Avenida 3-24
Colonia La Florida, Zona 19
Guatemala City
Guatemala
Tel: +502-24374421
Email: mcbrcguatemala@gmail.com
Europe
Frères Missionnaires de la Charité
10 rue Violet
75015, Paris
France
Tel: 33-1-4575-0972
Email: europedelegation@gmail.com
Africa
M.C. Brothers
P.O. Box 21700, Ngong Road
Nairobi 00505
Kenya
Tel: +254-20-353-8823
Email: mcbrcnairobi@gmail.com
MC Contemplative Brothers
“Brother Andrew and the brothers are the gift of God to the Church and the whole world, the fruit of much prayer and sacrifice. Right from the very beginning I had been praying very much that God would give us someone who would give all for Jesus and at the same time love the poorest of the poor.” (Mother Teresa)
History
Our Society known as the Missionaries of Charity Contemplative is a diocesan religious institutecomposed of brothers and priests with equal rights and obligations founded by Saint Teresa of Calcuttawith Fr. Sebastian Vazhakala on 19 March 1979.
Spirituality
We are a diocesan religious institute in the diocese of Rome since 8 December 1993 whose members take public vows of chastity, poverty, obedience and wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor, lived in the perfection of love:
- with a life marked by an intense life of prayer, penance, and works of mercy in simplicity and humility within their own communities and in the heart of the world, aided by the superior who is their father, teacher, and guide;
- who are called by the Lord to reflect, live and diffuse the spirit, charism and mission entrusted to our foundress, Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
Aim
Our aim is to satiate the infinite thirst of Jesus on the Cross for love and for souls. Remaining in the heart of the Church, we consecrate and sanctify ourselves, our society, and the entire world – especially the world of the poorest of the poor:
- with our constant effort to transform our own lives after the image of Jesus, and our communities into true sanctuaries of love, peace, and joy by means of prayer, dialogue, sharing, and service;
- doing ordinary little things with extraordinary love for the greater glory of God;
- with our consecrated contemplative presence in the heart of the world – as we are called to be contemplative missionaries and missionary contemplatives – for twenty-four hours of each day: from the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, we go to the presence of Jesus in the poorest of the poor, and vice versa;
- giving immediate and effective service according to the felt need in a given situation;
- accepting everything, especially our daily crosses, trials, and sufferings in total surrender, loving trust, and cheerfulness.
The Society will entirely depend on Divine Providence for all its needs, spiritual and temporal, without ever being anxious about tomorrow.
Apostolate
The first mission-field for us is our own hearts, and the second one is our own brothers in community who have the special need to find God’s tender love reflected in us. Currently the Brothers serve the poorest of the poor in Rome, Albania, India, and Ghana. Our apostolic work includes:
- In Rome – visiting the poor on the street, in hospitals and old people; a night ministry to the homeless and sacramental services in prisons; a night shelter (Casa Serena) for about seventy homeless men, who are provided with a bed, clothing, washing and medical facilities as well as two meals a day and, most importantly, a family to belong to.
- In Albania – meeting a very wide spectrum of spiritual and material needs amongst people who have suffered severe state repression for over 45 years. We are hoping to expand our ministry to the prisons and hospitals, as well as to teach catechism in as many local villages as we can.
- In India – giving witness to non-Christians by living an authentically contemplative Christian life, while at the same time providing loving care and shelter for some seventy orphaned and handicapped boys, irrespective, of their religious or cultural background.
When we find ourselves in new situations, we are always ready to adapt, with God’s help, to any newwork that the Lord may show us amongst those who are truly the poorest.
One of God’s special gifts to our contemplative branch is the movement of the Lay Missionaries of Charity, which is meant to be at the service of the family, to promote and foster "unity and fidelity in marriage guided by love and peace, as the future of humanity passes by way of the family." (Pope John Paul II)
MC Contemplative Brothers
Contact information:
Missionaries of Charity Brothers Contemplative
Via S. Agapito 8
00177 Rome
Italy
Tel: +39-06-21707702
Fax: +39-06-21707703
Email: info@mccontemplative.org
For further information visit MC Brothers Contemplative.
Missionaries of Charity Fathers
“How I long to see you as priests spread throughout the world giving Jesus to the people hungry for God.”“… May all those who you come in contact with look up and see only Jesus in you. That is why you must be holy priests. This is what Jesus asked when He asked for MC Fathers: ‘Give Me holy priests.’” (Mother Teresa)
History
The religious community of the Missionaries of Charity Fathers is a clerical religious institute of diocesan right which was founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta with Fr. Joseph Langford in 1984, to combine the beauty of the Missionary of Charity vocation with the grace of the ministerial priesthood.
Mission
Our particular mission is to labour at the salvation and sanctification of the poorest of the poor by:
- the witness of our consecrated life;
- priestly ministry and evangelization where there is no priestly presence by:
- our spiritual assistance to the MC Family by offering the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation, retreats and seminars on the MC charism;
- our service in bringing Mother Teresa’s message to the world:
- evangelizing the People of God through the ministry of the Word, to groups and individuals, in retreats and seminars;
- sharing this message of hope and renewal with our brother priests;
- by studying and adapting the charism to all categories of Christian living, the needs of the Church, and the world.
We currently serve in Tijuana and Mexico City (Mexico), Rome (Italy), Calcutta and Shillong (India), Guatemala City (Guatemala), and Nairobi (Kenya).
Qualifications for Candidates
Applicants to our Institute must be 18 years of age and eligible to enter university-level studies. Those men who desire to follow Jesus as His priest in service to the poorest of the poor will be invited to make at wo week “Come and See” experience with us before they can request admission.
Missionaries of Charity Fathers
Contact information:
For further information visit the Missionaries of Charity Fathers.
Americas
Tijuana, Mexico (Generalate House)
Tijuana, Mexico (Generalate House)
Padres Misioneros de la Caridad
Ave. José Murua Martínez # 15981
Col. Chapultepec Alamar
22540 Tijuana, B.C.
Mexico
Tel:
+52-664-624-6511
+52-664-624-6796
+1- 619- 3991156 (USA)
Email: santuariomadreteresa50997@gmail.com
- Mailing Address: USA
Missionaries of Charity Fathers
P.O. Box 530809
San Diego, CA 92153
U.S.A.
Europe
Italy
Padri Missionari della Carità
Vicolo di Torre del Fiscale, #73
00178 Roma
Italy
Tel: +39-06-780-7817
Email: mcfroma@gmail.com
Africa
Kenya
- Mailing Address: USA
Missionaries of Charity Fathers
P.O. Box 1371
Ruaraka, Nairobi 00618
Kenya
Tel: (+254) 711 420 168
Email: mcfatherspangani@gmail.com
Asia
Kolkata, India
Missionaries of Charity Fathers
Jishu Bhavan
88, Dr. Sundari Mohan Ave.
Kolkata - 14, West Bengal,
India
Tel: (+91) 33 228 65600
Tel: (+91) 33 228 96779
Shillong, India
Missionaries of Charity Fathers
St. Thomas Home
Nongrah dong Nonglum
Shillong - 6, Meghalaya
India
Tel: (+91) 364 253 7315
Tel: (+91) 364 253 4543
Email: shillongmcfathers@gmail.com
For vocations inquiries please contact the Vocation Director at vocations.mcf@gmail.com or in the community closest you.