Keralite nun to lead Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity

Kolkata: Keralite Sister Mary Joseph, 71, has been elected as the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, which was founded by Mother Teresa.

A native of Mala in Thrissur, Sister Mary Joseph had been serving as the regional superior of the Missionaries of Charity’s south zone that includes Kerala.

She replaces German-born Sister Mary Prema who has been the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity for 13 years. Sister Mary Prema had wished to step down from the post due to health issues. Subsequently, Sister Mary Joseph was selected during an election held in Kolkata the other day.

Sister Nirmala Joshi, who was from Nepal, had succeeded Mother Teresa as the head of the Missionaries of Charity. And she was followed by Sister Mary Prema. Sister Mary Joseph is the fourth Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity. She is the first Indian native to be elected to this post.

Sister Mary Joseph is the daughter of (late) Devassy-Kochu Thresya. After completing her studies at the AKM School in Poyya, she joined the Sisters of Charity at the age of 20. She had also worked with Mother Teresa for a long time. Later, she served in various countries such as the Philippines, Poland and Papua New Guinea. She returned to Kolkata during the canonisation of Mother Teresa. She then took up the charge of the Kerala region.