Letter of the Sacred Congregation for Clergy

Rome, June 26, 1981
Feast of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus

SACRA CONGREGAZIONE
PER IL CLERO
PROT. 165777/1

Rev. Mother Teresa, MC
54A Lower Circular Road
Calcutta 700 016
India

Dear Mother Teresa:

This Sacred Congregation wishes to acknowledge receipt of a "protect" of statutes for an international movement called "Priests Co-Workers of Mother Teresa."

Having carefully examined the above mentioned document and, most of all, after your personal oral explanation given to us during one of your recent visits to Rome, this Sacred Dicastery hereby wishes to encourage whole-heartedly the movement "Priests Co-Workers of Mother Teresa," which, even though without definite juridical structure (since each priest or religious remains within the context of his own ministry and priestly vocation), is certainly a worthy initiative of great value for the spiritual formation of priests who wish to join it.

It is to be praised the purpose of theThis Sacred Congregation wishes to acknowledge receipt of a "protect" of statutes for an inter­national movementt, namely to "attempt to live the gospel more fully and faithfully, in greater simplicity and poverty of spirit, within the context of their own ministry and priestly vocation, by sharing spiritually in the charism and spirit given by Cod to the universal Church through Mother Teresa."

In a special way, we find in the document a missionary spirit which impels the priest to care for the poorest among the poor who need his priestly ministry; all of this being permeated by a profound devotion for the Eucharist, "source and summit of priestly life," and marked by a complete abandonment in the hands of Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of priests.

This Sacred Congregation cherishes the hope that many priests all over the world may find in the ideals of Mother Teresa as they are expressed in the above mentioned document, a further stimulus to their spiritual life, so that the private act of oblation to be renewed each year on Holy Thursday, may be an incentive not only for them personally, but also, through them, for all the souls that will benefit from their sacerdotal ministry.

Invoking the blessings of the Almighty upon the work of Mother Teresa and, in a special way, on this "project" for priests, and with sentiments of cordial esteem, I remain,

Faithfully in Christ,

(Silvio Cardinal Oddi, Prefect)

(Archbishop Maximino Romero, Secretary)