Ian first met Mother Theresa of Calcutta (as she was known then) when he was 18 years old. He fundraised in Walsall, England for her charity, and then took the money to her in Calcutta. He spent a year working for her charities, in Bombay and in the leper colonies in Calcutta, and later in London. He wrote “A Ripple of Love” about her work and this was published in 1986. She has been a huge influence in Ian’s life since.
Why St. Theresa of Calcutta?
Mother Theresa established the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation that was initially dedicated to serving “the poorest of the poor” in the slums of Calcutta in 1950. Over the decades, the congregation grew to operate in 138 countries, with more than 4,500 nuns managing homes for those dying from HIV/AIDS, leprosy, and tuberculosis, as well as running soup kitchens, dispensaries, mobile clinics, orphanages, and schools. Mother Teresa received several honours, including the 1962 Ramon Magsaysay Peace Prize and the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize.