Bring Me Your Poor: Remembering the Work of St. Teresa of Kolkata

Even in her own time, I cannot imagine St. Teresa of Kolkata could fathom the tragedy of poverty in 2025. St. Teresa of Kolkata, known during her life as Mother Teresa, dedicated her life and the life of her community to the poorest of the poor. Her mission went beyond the usual aid to those in poverty; she witnessed the need of those who went without food, water, healthcare, but perhaps more significantly, the need of those who went without love. In a 1974 television interview, she said, “There is [sic] two kinds of poverty. We have the poverty of material life. … But there is much deeper, much greater hunger, and that is the hunger for love and that terrible loneliness and being unwanted, unloved, being abandoned by everybody” (1974 interview with Irish television). 

When we think of poverty, of the marginalized, of those who go without, it feels natural to consider what they are physically lacking - a home, a meal, clothing, a job. Yet there is more to poverty than just the material. The missing links of humanity - community, connection, and love - are key losses in the struggle for human flourishing among the poorest of the poor. In honor of St. Teresa’s feast day, let us reflect on where this loneliness exists today and what might be our path as Christians who seek to be the hands and feet of Jesus present in the world today. 

In her time, St. Teresa cared for those ignored and cast out by others. I am reminded of her work with those dying, especially of contagious or stigmatized diseases like HIV and AIDs, leprosy, and tuberculosis. Others who had the methods and means to care for people in these devastating situations did not step up, leaving the ministry of the Sisters of Charity to fill in the gaps as best they could. While we are all responsible for one another, a truth recognized by faithful followers of Christ, systems of social services and governmental support exist to ensure the survival of all people. Yet they so often fall short for a number of reasons. 

Today, many of our brothers and sisters die without dignity, considered less than human by world leaders who prioritize corporations and money over humanity and integrity. While this is a global problem, in the United States we do not need to cast our gaze too far before seeing the reality of prejudice and neglect in which immigrant families live. Our neighbors who sought an American life as an improvement to their situation or as a dream of more for their children are ripped from their homes and loved ones for no reason. They are othered in interrogation without access to appropriate language resources, legal support, and ways to communicate with their families. The loneliness of this process cannot be overstated; it is difficult to imagine how isolated and helpless one might feel in such an environment. 

I believe St. Teresa would remind us that Jesus was once an immigrant. She would remind us that everyone is worthy of love and the work of loving the poorest of the poor is a sacrifice we are all called to make. St. Teresa once said, “A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, must empty ourselves. The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace.” Serving the poor, making sacrifices for those who lack opportunity and access, plants the seeds of love and peace that our world desperately needs.