Sister Nirmala Joshi re-elected as head of Missionaries of Charity

Sister Nirmala Joshi has been re-elected as the superior general of the 62-year-old Missionaries of Charity order consisting of over 4,500 sisters and active in 133 countries.

On March 13, Sister Nirmala was elected for her third term in office, which however is yet to receive the papal approval.

Born into a Brahmin family in Ranchi, Sister Nirmala succeeded Mother Teresa as superior general in March 1997.

Recognising her service to the poor and downtrodden, the Indian government awarded the Padma Vibhushan on January 26, 2009. The Padma Vibhushan is India's second highest civilian honour.

The Kolkata based Missionaries of Charity order was founded by Mother Teresa in 1950. For over 45 years Mother Teresa ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion.

The MC have 19 homes in Kolkata alone which include homes for women, for orphaned children, and for the dying; an AIDS hospice, a school for street children, and a leper colony. These services are provided to people regardless of their religion or social caste.