Chapter 8
THE GROWTH OF A MIRACLE
By the late 1950s, Mother Teresa found herself becoming quite newsworthy,
at least in Calcutta, where she was the subject of several articles in both the
Indian and English newspapers. This attention marked the beginning of a
remarkable relationship between Mother Teresa and the Indian press. For
one thing, the articles about Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity
often resulted in donations to the order. Some of the gifts came in the form
of money; others donated supplies and their time.
The wife of a British businessman and a former Loreto student, Aruna
Paul, helped teach children in the slums. She also organized Christmas
parties for the children. After her own children were born, she made a
point of having birthday parties for the children in Shishu Bhavan on the
same day as her own children’s celebrations. She also made a point of tak-
ing her children with her to Shishu Bhavan to impress upon them how
fortunate they were. Paul also had access to a textile factory; through her
efforts, the sisters received new saris every year. Years later, Paul recalled
that Mother Teresa, prior to her traveling, never seemed hurried and that
she always had time for everyone who came to see her. But that would all
soon change as Mother Teresa began capturing the attention of a much
wider audience, while recognizing there were other places in the world
that might benefit from her vision.
SETTING FOOT ON THE WORLD STAGE
For nearly 10 years, the work done by the Missionaries of Charity had
been confined to Calcutta. This was in agreement with church law, which