Roma — Tor Fiscale
Mother Teresa, at the entrance of Vicolo di Torre del Fiscale, 73, the first house of Missionaries of Charity sisters in Europe. where the MC Fathers currently live.
The ‘Tor Fiscale’ Story & Timeline
In 1968, Pope Paul VI invited St. Teresa of Calcutta to begin Missionaries of Charity in Rome with a special mission to “to be a witness.” Mother Teresa wrote a letter to the Holy Father, Pope Paul VI, On the 21st of March 1968:
“My sisters and I are most grateful to you for your fatherly message sent through his Eminence Cardinal Cicognani. It will help us to become more generous and serve our poor with greater love. Holy Father, I wish to express to you my great desire to put myself and the whole congregation at your disposal to use us wherever you wish, especially among the poor of your own diocese.”
“During my brief stay in Rome I had an opportunity with Bishop Pavol Hnilica to visit some places where we found many poor. At the sight of their needs and suffering I felt a deep desire to give them our sisters to love and serve them. With Bishop Hnilica I visited His Eminence Cardinal Dell’Aqua, who received us with extreme kindness and benevolence, and also his blessing. Both the Cardinal and the Bishop encouraged me to give this form of assistance to the Eternal City.”
“As the project of making a foundation in Rome is under careful consideration, I would beg your Holiness to bless it and pray that the Holy Will of God be fulfilled in this new step. Please pray also that in this great city we may be able to live the life of a true Missionary of Charity for the poor, with the poor, and like the poor.”
“The aim of our coming to Rome is to serve the poorest of the poor, and so give witness of Christ’s love for them and also to show the civil authorities of India that our work in India and elsewhere is not intended for direct conversions, but to bring the people, particularly those in need,closer to God through works of charity.”
“Holy Father, I wish to express to you my great desire to put myself and the whole congregation at your disposal to use us wherever you wish, especially among the poor of your own diocese.”
More Letters & Divine Providence
Mother wrote a letter to Holy Father, Pope Paul VI again on May 30, 1968:
“From the letter I received from His Excellency, C.Caprio, our Apostolic Pro-Nuncio, I came to know of the keen interest you have for our sisters to come to Rome and serve the poor. I cannot express my joy and gratitude for your paternal love for this our young society. The group of sisters to leave for Rome are already ready and I hope to leave as soon as I come to know about the dwelling place of the sisters somewhere near the poor, which, I am sure, Monsignor Laghi is preparing for us. I also want to thank you for the generous gift of money sent for the work in Rome through the Apostolic Pro-Nuncio.”
On the 20th of July 1968 Mother wrote a letter to Reverend Monsignor Laghi,
“I am sure you will be surprised and happy to hear that your hope and desires will so soon be fulfilled. Six of us are leaving for Rome by Alitalia flight on the 17th August from Delhi. Bishop Hnilica has very kindly offered to pay the passage. I do hope that the sisters will be able to do the work according to the plan of God and the hope of us all. Bishop Hnilica has been able to make some arrangements for the sisters until such time as we are able to get a place somewhere among our poor people.
I am sure you know that the Holy Father has sent $10,000 to our Nuncio for the work in Rome showing how much this work for the poor is in his heart. I still remember that you offered yourself as the first co-worker in Rome and I hope that besides you there will be many others. When you see our Holy Father kindly ask him to pray for us and our poor.”
Mother and six sisters left on an Alitalia flight on the 17th August from Delhi for Rome; Sr. M.Gertrude, Sr. M.Monica, Sr. M.Susan, Sr. M.Thomas, Sr. M.Sylvia. On the 18th morning at 6:45 a.m. they arrived in Rome. Bishop Hnilica with his secretary Miss Catherine drove them from the airport to St. Peters where they visited the tombs of the previous Popes and prayed for all.
“I cannot express my joy and gratitude for your paternal love for this our young society…” — Mother Teresa to the Holy Father, Pope Paul VI
“The aim of our coming to Rome is to serve the poorest of the poor, and so give witness of Christ’s love for them..”
In Rome
Bishop then took them to the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, and they stayed there till the 22nd. On the evening of the 19th Mother went looking for a place at St. Jude’s, but there was no place. Again on the next day Mother tried and providentially the driver drove them to the parish of St. Stephen where the parish priest Don Carlo Alfieri who like St.Simeon was waiting for somebody and welcomed us with a smile saying, “Li angeli sono arrivati!” (Oh! The angels have arrived!)
On 22nd August we had two Masses, the first in the Franciscan convent, the second in the first shack! We had nothing to give our Mother on that day, only our prayers. Then we went to the house the priest had found for us for 16,000 Italian Lire, but it would be ready only in September. Mother was determined to move on the 22nd so we begged our parish priest to give his hall for us for a few days. As we said goodbye to the Franciscan sisters, they filled our car with vegetables, fruits, blankets, pillows, straw for mattresses, a table, a chair, 2 benches and 7 beds, so we were well provided for. We were there till the 27th, Mother’s baptism day, spending our time making mattresses, visiting people, learning the language.
St.StephenParish: “Li angeli sono arrivanti!” (Oh! The angels have arrived!)
August 27, 1968, the nuns left the refectory hall of Santo Stefano and moved to a temporary private house of a generous Lady in Via Quinzio Flaminio, 30, where they lived with their family. The nuns continued to walk around the neighborhood visiting the poor. Mother Teresa wrote that the children of the neighborhood never leave the nuns and annoy the owner of the house. After a short period in Via Q. Flamingo, the nuns moved to a poor barrack near Acquedotto Felice. [*That is Torre Fiscale, 73 - the current house where Missionaries of Charity Fathers are residing.]
Sr. Martin de Porres MC, one of the founding members of Torre Fiscale recalls:
“In the compound were five families. This location, which was used for the ASILO (Kindergarten) for the parish children. We began by taking care of the toddlers before beginning sewing lessons. The Parish ultimately made the decision to make the space available to us. Thus, we decided to construct a home for the Missionaries of Charity.
Thus, we began construction of the house throughout the summer. We had two masons, and we, the sisters, were the workers. There was just a tiny room in front of us, and the rest was up to us—we had to mix the cement, carry blocchetti (building blocks), construct the walls, etc. So, we did this the whole summer, singing and working, singing and working.
And so that was, we built a mother's room, dormitory, the kitchen wall was there, and the washing place was outside the kitchen. So, with the two masons and four sisters the building was ready. Cardinal Lundswami was invited to the inauguration and blessing of the house.
The convent in Torre Fiscale was a long barrack, with a dormitory, bathroom for washing, kitchen and refectory. Don Mario, a priest in a wheelchair, celebrated Holy Mass every day for the nuns in the chapel.”
“…the neighborhood children never leave the nuns and annoy the owner of the house…” —Mother Teresa
“Thus, we began construction of the house throughout the summer…”
— Sister Martin de Porres, MC
Transition & Growth
What do the people of Rome think of us? First, they look us up from top to bottom, next they want to know if we are Catholics, then they say ‘India is so poor, why have we come here? And what not. They are very friendly, and the children never leave us and their constant visits annoy the landlord. Our first aspirant joined us who is now Sr.M.Eucharia.”
On August 23, 1973, the novitiate was transferred from Southall, London to Tor Fiscale. The first group of novices were the following: second year seniors - Sr.M.Valerie and Sr.M.Felicia; second year juniors - Sr.M.Linda, Sr.M.Punya, Sr.E.Francie; first year seniors - Sr.M.Asunta, Sr.M.Christauria, Sr.M.Teramika, Sr.M.Shanti Dan. Sr.M.Stella was the novice mistress.
What do the people of Rome think of us? First, they look us up from top to bottom, next they want to know if we are Catholics.
On November 1, 1973, the first profession in Tor Fiscale took place in the compound under the vine. Sr.M.Valerie and Sr.M.Felicia both went to Wodeidah, Yemen for their first mission.
In June 1992, Missionaries of Charity Fathers, the youngest branch of the MC Family moved to Tor Fiscale to continue loving and serving Jesus in the distressing disguise of the poorest of poor.
