Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity (MoC), Sister Mary Joseph, on Saturday said nuns of her order were serving the war-affected people in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Sister Joseph who was recently elected Superior General, also praised India where her mission is based out of, for having a long tradition of harmony among different faiths.
The Superior General told newspersons in Kolkata that, "Five of our sisters are serving the affected people, the homeless and destitute in Kyiv." "We are in regular touch with the sisters. We speak to them. They are taking care of 33 people. Besides there are locals and other nationalities from outside. We never turn away anybody," she added.
A news report by the Vatican News earlier this month had said two sisters from the northeastern State of Mizoram Sisters Rosela Nuthangi and Ann Frida have chosen to stay back and serve the injured and those fleeing the war that began on February 24.
The MoC has a history of serving in Ukraine. Mother Teresa, the founder of the Mission who was also often called `Saint of the gutters’ for her work among the poor and the destitute, had in 1987 managed to cross into the then Soviet Union to reach out and help victims of the nuclear accident in Chernobyl, now in Ukraine.
The Kolkata-headquartered Missionaries of Charity are present in Ukraine and Russia, which now stand locked in conflict. It is also present in other former Soviet Union nations - Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. In Russia alone the MoC has six homes, the veteran nun said.
"We are constantly praying that peace is restored in that region. The situation is bad in Ukraine and our prayers are there to God - please bring peace in Ukraine," she added.
Sister Joseph also told reporters in Kolkata that India has a long tradition of amity and harmony where people of different faiths carry out their religious practices in the same spirit.
"You walk on the streets. You will find temples, mosques and churches along your way. The places of worship are different but the faithful pray with the same spirit and devotion," she told reporters. She emphasised this spirit of pluralism of the country, rose above religious differences and strife.
The order revered world-wide for its work among the poor had hit the headlines in December after revelations that renewal of a mandatory registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, has been refused by the Government.
