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Nirmala Joshi

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Sister Nirmala Joshi, M.C.
Sister Nirmala in Witness, the Salt + Light Television programme
TitleSuperior General
Personal
Born(1934-07-23)23 July 1934
Syanja, Nepal
Died23 June 2015(2015-06-23) (aged 80)
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
ReligionHinduism (1934-1958), Catholicism (1958-2015)
NationalityIndian
Alma materMaster's degree in Political science, Doctor Juris, Graduate degree in Law
Senior posting
Period in office1997-2009
PredecessorMother Teresa
SuccessorMary Prema Pierick

Nirmala Joshi, M.C. (23 July 1934 – 23 June 2015), better known as Sister Nirmala, was a Catholic Religious Sister who succeeded Nobel laureate Mother Teresa as the head of her Missionaries of Charity and expanded the movement overseas.[1][2] After taking over the charity following Mother Teresa’s death in 1997, Nirmala expanded the organisation’s reach to 134 countries by opening centres in nations such as Afghanistan, Israel and Thailand.

Biography

Life and Career

Nirmala Joshi, née Kusum, was born on 23 July 1934[3] in a Brahmin family as the eldest of the ten children at Regmi Village, Syangja, Nepal .[4][5][6] Her father was an officer of the British Indian Army until the nation's independence in 1947.[6] When she was one year old, her father brought the family to India. Although the family was Hindu, she was educated by Christian missionaries in Mount Carmel, Hazaribag. At that time, she learned of Mother Teresa's work and wanted to share in that service. She soon converted to Catholicism and joined the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa.[7] Joshi completed a Master's degree in Political Science and then went on to secure a doctorate degree in law from the University of Calcutta.[4][8] She was one of the first Sisters of the institute to head a foreign mission when she went to Panama. In 1976, Joshi started the contemplative branch of the Missionaries of Charity and remained at its head until 1997, when she was elected to succeed Mother Teresa as Superior General of the institute.[8]

The government of India bestowed the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award, on Sister Joshi on Republic Day (26 January) 2009 for her services to the nation.[9][10] Her term as Superior General ended on 25 March 2009, and she was succeeded by German born Sister Mary Prema Pierick.[6]

Death

Joshi died on 23 June 2015 in Kolkata from a heart ailment.[11] Many leaders of India expressed their condolences in media, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.[12]

References

  1. ^ Asianews
  2. ^ Letter to Coworkers
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ a b "We are 'little pencils' in God's hand". Eternal World Television Network. 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Sister Nirmala is no more". Indian Express. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "Sister Nirmala Bio". Celebs Bio. 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  7. ^ "How India remembers Mother Teresa". Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. Retrieved 11 September 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ a b "Indian-born nun to succeed Mother Teresa". CNN. 13 March 1997. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  9. ^ "Padma Awards Directory (1954–2013)" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs.
  10. ^ Padma Vibhushan
  11. ^ "Sister Nirmala passes away - The Times of India". Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  12. ^ "Mother Teresa's Successor, Sister Nirmala Joshi, Dies at 81". Retrieved 25 October 2015.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Superior General of the
Missionaries of Charity
1997–2009 		Succeeded by
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