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Mother Teresa's work carries on
September 8, 1997
Web posted at: 2:50 p.m. EDT (1850 GMT)CALCUTTA, India (CNN) -- Preparations for Mother Teresa's funeral continued on Monday as the religious order she led worked to assure that the Roman Catholic nun's devotion to helping the poorest of the poor would survive her death.
Mother Teresa, who was 87, died of a heart attack on Friday at the Calcutta headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity. Her body was moved early Sunday to the city's St. Thomas Church, where thousands of mourners have filed past her glass casket.
On Saturday, the body will be moved to a sports stadium where the Indian government will give her a state funeral, which is usually reserved for heads of state. A private burial is planned for the Missionaries of Charity complex, located on the edge of a Calcutta slum.
Her order now has more than 4,000 nuns and runs 517 orphanages, homes for the poor, AIDS hospices and other charity centers around the world.
Mother Teresa's successor
But with the passing of the charismatic figure, some of Mother Teresa's followers are concerned about the financial future of Missionaries of Charity.
"It's impossible that the funds will not be so generously provided as they are now, because a certain amount is given for the personality of Mother Teresa," says Rev. Edward Le Joly, a biographer and a spiritual guide for the order's nuns for 35 years.
Many were drawn to the Missionaries of Charity by Mother Teresa's personality, says Le Joly. But he tells the nuns it's their calling to serve Jesus that should be uppermost in their minds.
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The order's new leader, Sister Nirmala, may lack Mother Teresa's widespread charisma, but is still a "deeply religious woman ... (and) ... excellent administrator, says Navin Chawla, who has written a biography of Mother Teresa. "I think this combination will see the Missionaries of Charity through."
True believers
A young Swiss woman named Zena Hakim has similar faith. "I hope the sisters will continue, I'm sure about this," she told CNN after coming to Calcutta the day after Mother Teresa died to become a Missionaries of Charity volunteer.
A poor boy named Rajesh also was drawn to Mother Teresa's inspiring devotion. Although he never met her, he knows first-hand of her good works. Rajesh, who lives with his parents under a bridge, is among many of Calcutta's homeless who are helped by Mother Teresa's charities.
Now, he sells flowers to help the order raise money.
The light of Mother Teresa's presence may have gone out of their lives, butthe nuns pledge the flame of her inspiration will live on.
New Delhi Bureau Chief Anita Pratap and Correspondent Tom Mintier contributed to this report.
Mother Teresa special section
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