SEP 9, 11 (3/3) .. NEW DELHI .. MEETING MOTHER TERESA
HOW I MET MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA..
MOST.. BUT NOT ALL OF YOU.. KNOW OF MY SPECIAL ASSOCIATION WITH MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA..
THE FOLLOWING IS A MOST BRIEF ENCAPSULATION OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO MEETING MOTHER TERESA..
During my very first visit to India, from October 31st 1990, until May 17th of 1991.. I met one Miss Philomena Franks at the YMCA Tourist Hostel in New Delhi.. Miss Franks was a legend in her own time.. an amazing lady.. Miss Franks progressed in her career here at the YMCA from a housekeeping employee to Head of Housekeeping to eventually MANAGER and CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER of the YMCA Tourist Hostel here in New Delhi..
Jumping ahead now to December of 1992 and my second trip to India (of currently my nine trips to India) .. here at the YMCA.. I had a POWERFUL PHENOMENAL EXPERIENCE during which I was (make no mistake here) DIRECTED TO GO TO CALCUTTA and find Mother Teresa.. THANK YOU MISTER George Frasier from Abbotsford, British Columba.. you Sir were God’s Messenger to me.. and thanks Wayne The Monkman.. YOU TOO WERE THERE with me..
I had shared this spiritual calling with Miss Franks and.. when I was about to leave for Calcutta in mid-December of 1992.. in a MOST OFF HANDED MANNER.. Miss Franks quietly said to me.. “Sir.. would you do me a small favor?” .. I answered Miss Franks.. “OF COURSE I WILL.. I WILL DO ANYTHING YOU ASK OF ME” .. and with Miss Franks.. NO DISCERNMENT WAS NECESSARY..
Her most simple request was for me to take a small package to a friend of hers in Calcutta.. it turned out to be a Christmas present..
Wayne Monkman and I arrived into Calcutta December 21st.. 1992..
Immediately upon arriving into Calcutta.. and I mean IMMEDIATELY.. as in we arrived into Calcutta.. we got off the train.. we got our bags and we set off to find Miss Franks associate.. THAT WAS THE IMPORTANCE I ATTACHED TO ASSISTING Miss Franks with delivering her package to her friend.. IF EVER IN THIS LIFETIME.. GOD OF ABRAHAM HAS EVER STRONGLY SUGGESTED TO ME THAT I DO SOMETHNG.. THIS WAS THE TIME..
With me as the leader of our ‘two man pack’.. Wayne and I found Miss Franks friend.. one Mrs K. A. A. Brinnand.. Mrs Brinnand went by the name of “Kitty” Brinnand.. ‘Kitty’ was perhaps ten to twelve years my senior.. and owned and operated a small business in Calcutta.. I gave to “Kitty” the package and “Kitty” calmly asked me .. “Cap.. what brings you to Calcutta?” ..
I told “Kitty” that in late November (we were now in December) in the bath tub in San Francisco I had received a spiritual calling to go to Calcutta.. it was.. GO TO CALCUTTA!!.. and further that a few weeks later in New Delhi.. I was directed to seek out Mother Teresa in Calcutta..
“Kitty” just sort of off handedly smiled.. kind of looked off into the distance.. and reached across her desk and in a most patronizing way patted my hand and said.. “How sweet you want to meet Mother Terersa..” She then made a telephone call and all I heard was .. “This is “Kitty”.. you are in town.. I will be over in the morning!”..
She then turned very business-like and said.. “Please meet me here at 9AM tomorrow morning.”
It was December 22nd.. 1992.. etched forever.. FOREVER.. into my mind..
I was on time and ‘Kitty” and Wayne Monkman and myself.. with ‘Kitty’s” driver piloting her car.. drove across Calcutta and ended up on A.J.C. Bose Road..
KEEP IN MIND I DID NOT HAVE A CLUE WHERE WE WERE GOING NOR WHAT WE WERE ABOUT..
‘Kitty’s’ driver dropped us off at a non-descript stone building.. we walked up an ally.. rang a bell.. were admitted.. and I noticed there were MANY members of a religious order (some call them Nuns) all around busily doing things..
WITH GOD OF ABRAHAM AS MY WITNESS.. IT STILL HAD NOT DAWNED ON ME WHAT WAS HAPPENING HERE..
“Kitty” said .. “Please sit down there”.. and Wayne and I did as directed.. “Kitty” IS THE DIRECTOR..
In a short time.. WITH MOTHER TERESA holding onto “Kitty” Brinnand’s right forearm.. “Kitty” said .. “Mother.. I would like you to meet two friends of mine!” and leaving Mother Teresa with Wayne and myself.. “Kitty’ just sort of evaporated..
LORD GOD OF ABRAHAM.. WHAT EXACTLY IS IT YOU EXPECT ME TO SAY TO ARGUABLY ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZEABLE PEOPLE ON PLANET EARTH..
I mean Mother Teresa.. with a stretch.. may have been 4-feet 10-inches.. she was TINY.. sitting between Wayne and myself.. I think Mother asked Wayne how he was and Wayne mumbled something about feeling like he had a fever.. Mother then placed the back of her left hand on Wayne’s forehead and smiled.. “I think you will live!”.. MOTHER TERESA WAS A CHARACTER!
What did I say.. I haven’t a clue.. I gave her a five hundred rupee bill.. Then I asked her.. “Could I have a photo of us”.. she just smiled and nodded in the affirmative.. and Wayne The Monkman SNAPPED THE BELOW PHOTO THAT SO MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN..
And that was that.. Wayne and I joined her Christmas Caroling Choir and the rest is history.. Wayne fell and was seriously injured at one of her Missions in Howrah and had to be med-evacuated to Singapore to save his life.. I have never seen, nor have I ever heard from, Wayne The Monk Man, since late December of 1992 or early January of 1993..
I went on to work with her into March 1993 at Kalighat, Mother Teresa’s home for the dying destitutes, Premdan and other missions.
Sometime later in February 1993.. in my hotel in Calcutta.. I met two special souls.. One Father T. J. O’Connell of County Galway Ireland and one Mister Kevin Gormley (Kevin by the way is reading along with us here) of County Dublin Ireland..
A day or two later.. I was a party to assisting Father T. J. to celebrate the Mass at Mother Teresa’s sanctuary.. after which Father T.J. quietly asked Mother Teresa .. “If he could have a photo with her and that it would mean a lot to his mother back in Ireland”.. this tiny little lady (Mother Teresa) reached out and with a SWAT from the back of her right hand to Father T. J.’s left shoulder admonished him.. get this.. she admonished the priest that had just celebrated Mass for her.. saying.. “Father.. I am NOT a tourist attraction and I don’t do photos with people!”..
AND I.. THE PROTESTANT.. AND I THE FRENCH HUGENOT DESCENDENT.. AND I THE NON-ROMAN-CATHOLIC.. AND I HAD THIS MOST PHENOMENAL PHOTO WITH HER.. but not the priest Father T. J. ..
Once.. Seamus McEntee of County Dublin was with her.. and by prearranged connivance.. Seamus turned her around and I SNAPPED THEIR PHOTO! ..
OK.. HERE WE ARE.. HERE IS ..
THE REST OF THE STORY..
MRS. KITTY BRINNAND IS SERIOUSLY ILL AND IN HER FINAL DAYS.. MRS KITTY BRINNAND IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THIS SUDDEN TRIP TO INDIA.. I WANT TO ONE FINAL TIME SEE MRS BRINNAND.. TO COMFORT HER.. TO READ TO HER.. TO DO ANYTHING I CAN DO TO ASSIST HER IN ANYWAY I CAN ASSIST HER.. AND WHEN TODAY.. FRIDAY THE 9th OF SEPTEMBER I HEARD THE CALLING.. GO TO CALCUTTA NOW.. I LEAPT INTO ACTION..
OH LORD GOD OF ABRAHAM.. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR ME.. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND NOR DO I IN ANYWAY BEGIN TO COMPREHEND YOU..
CAPTAIN.. MY LITTLE CAPTAIN..” BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD”..
GOTTCHA BIG DOG.. GOTTCHA.. I think that maybe God kindda likes to be called the Big Dog.. dog spelled backwards is GOD in case you did not know this..
Over and Out.. with LOVE.. Cap..