Inspiring Women of Faith

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Inspiring Women of Faith
Sister Helen Prejean
Mother Teresa
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Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Agnes Bojaxhu was born in Yugoslavia in 1910. She
entered the convent at the age of 18, taking the
name of Sr Teresa. She sailed for India and for
years, taught at a girls Catholic school. Most
of the students were from wealthy families.
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While on a train returning from her annual
retreat, Sister Teresa felt the call of God to
leave the security of her convent life. She
believed God was calling her to minister to the
poorest of the poor on the streets of Calcutta.
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She responded to this call, and left the convent
in 1948. She lived very simply, and spent her
days picking up dying people from the streets. In
1950 she opened the first Home for the Dying,
where the outcasts of Calcutta could die with
dignity.
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Many girls she had taught at the Loretto convent
school joined her in her work. They too,
dedicated their lives to Jesus in serving the
very poor. In 1950, Sr Teresas order became
known as the Missionaries of Charity.
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She taught her nuns to live very simple lives, to
pray constantly and to see the face of Jesus in
every person, especially the poorest of the poor.
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She and her sisters set up homes not only in
third world countries, but also in New York and
Rome. She saw spiritual poverty as the worst
poverty of all.
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Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979
for her service of love to the world. She
accepted the award ..in the name of the
hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled,
the blind, the lepers, of all those people who
feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout
society, people who have become a burden to the
society and are shunned by everyone. - Mother
Teresas Acceptance Speech
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Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997, at the
age of 87. Her Missionaries of Charity continue
to grow and serve the poorest of the poor. Her
Order is currently going through the process of
having Mother Teresa declared a saint.
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Interview with Mother Teresa
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Sister Helen Prejean
When Helen Prejean, a Sister of St Joseph, left
her teaching job to live in a housing project,
her life changed. She became pen pals with
Patrick Sonnier, a convicted killer of two
teenagers, who was on Death Row.
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Sonnier was sentenced to die in the electric
chair of Louisianas Angola State Prison. Sonnier
invited Helen to visit him regularly as his
spiritual advisor.
On the night of April 5, 1984, she accompanied
him to his execution.
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Sister Helens last words to Patrick Sonnier -
You look at me, you look at my face. I cant
bear the thought that you would die without
seeing one loving face. I will be the face of
Christ for you.
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Sr Helen was greatly affected by the experience
of watching another human being be executed. She
said I couldnt watch someone be killed and
walk away. Like a sacrament, the execution left
an indelible mark on my soul.
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She wrote about her experiences in a book called
Dead Man Walking, which was made into a major
motion picture.
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She has educated the public about the death
penalty by lecturing, writing and speaking all
over the USA.
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She is outspoken in her oppostion to the death
penalty as an inhuman and immoral act.
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Sr Helen continues to counsel inmates on Death
Row and accompany them to their execution.
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Sr Helen also works with the families of both the
murderers and their victims. She says that
prayer and dedication drive her. When shes in
the right place at the right time, Sr Helen says
she is aware if Gods presence.
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Although the Catholic Church teaches that the
death penalty is almost never morally acceptable
in modern society, there are around 3,000 people
awaiting execution in the United States.
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(No Transcript)
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The End