In the 19 years since Mother Teresa's death, the Missionaries of Charity have not only grown in faith and service, but in numbers around the world.
They began as a group of 12 sisters in Calcutta in 1950 with an intention to serve the hungry, homeless, naked, lepers and the unwanted. ;
In addition to the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, there is also the same order for brothers. These were then followed by additional sects called the Contemplative Sisters, Brothers and then the Fathers.
In 1997, when Mother Teresa passed away, there were 3,914 sisters and 363 brothers serving the poor. Now, in 2016, there are 5,161 sisters and 416 brothers in the midst of the marginalized.
The orders are now in 139 countries, compared to the 120 countries in 1997. Thus, they have also added 164 houses to their mission over the years, currently at 758.
It is expected that after Mother Teresa is officially named a saint on September 4, the number of vocations and interest in her order will continue to increase.
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