Nirmala Joshi

2021-11-14T10:43:07Z

5.168.213.2:

{{Short description|Catholic nun who led the Missionaries of Charity following Mother Teresa's death}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox religious biography
| honorific-prefix = Sister
| name = Maria Nirmala Joshi
| honorific-suffix = [[Missionaries of Charity|M.C.]]
| image = Nirmala Joshi Salt and Light interview.jpg
| caption = Sister Nirmala in ''Witness'', the [[Salt + Light Television]] programme
| religion = [[Christianity]] ([[Catholicism]])
| alma_mater = [[University of Calcutta]] ([[Doctor Juris]])
| nationality = Indian
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1934|7|23}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2015|6|23|1934|7|23}}
| death_place = [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]], India
| birth_place = [[Ranchi]], [[Bihar and Orissa Province]], [[British Raj]]
| institute = [[Missionaries of Charity]]
| title = [[Missionaries of Charity|Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity]]
| predecessor = [[Saint Teresa of Calcutta|Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu]]
| successor = [[Mary Prema Pierick]] [[Missionaries of Charity|M.C.]]
}}

Sister '''Maria Nirmala Joshi''' [[Missionaries of Charity|M.C.]] (23 July 1934 – 23 June 2015) was an Indian [[Catholic]] Religious Sister who succeeded Nobel laureate [[Mother Teresa]] as the head of her [[Missionaries of Charity]] and expanded the movement overseas.<ref>{{Cite web|last=AsiaNews.it|title=Sr Nirmala Joshi: Let us put down the weapons of violence; religion is a work of peace|url=http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=13116&dos=124&size=A|access-date=2021-11-14|website=www.asianews.it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Sr. Nirmala Letter to The Co-workers_2008|url=https://www.motherteresa.org/02_news/Co-workers_2008.html|access-date=2021-11-14|website=www.motherteresa.org}}</ref> After taking over the charity following Mother Teresa's death in 1997, Nirmala expanded the organisation's reach to 134 countries by opening centres in nations such as Afghanistan, Israel and Thailand.

==Biography==
===Life and career===
Nirmala Joshi, née Kusum, was born on 23 July 1934<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EustAAAAYAAJ&q=Nirmala+Joshi+1934|title = Inside the Vatican|year = 2001}}</ref> in a Brahmin family as the eldest of the ten children at in [[Ranchi]], [[Bihar and Orissa Province]] in the [[British Raj|British Indian Empire]] (now the capital of the Indian State of [[Jharkhand]]).<ref name="We are 'little pencils' in God's hand">{{cite web | url=https://www.ewtn.com/library/PRIESTS/NIRMALA.HTM | title=We are 'little pencils' in God's hand | publisher=Eternal World Television Network | date=2015 | access-date=24 June 2015}}</ref><ref name="Sister Nirmala is no more">{{cite news | url=http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/sister-nirmala-of-missionaries-of-charity-passes-away/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623080118/http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/sister-nirmala-of-missionaries-of-charity-passes-away/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=23 June 2015 | title=Sister Nirmala is no more | newspaper=Indian Express | date=24 June 2015 | access-date=24 June 2015}}</ref><ref name="Sister Nirmala Bio">{{cite web | url=http://www.in.com/sister-nirmala/biography-256317.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624124907/http://www.in.com/sister-nirmala/biography-256317.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=2015-06-24 | title=Sister Nirmala Bio | publisher=Celebs Bio | date=2015 | access-date=24 June 2015 }}</ref> Her parents were from [[Nepal]] and her father was an officer of the [[British Indian Army]] until the nation's independence in 1947.<ref name="Sister Nirmala Bio" /> Although the family was Hindu, she was educated by Christian missionaries in Mount Carmel, [[Hazaribagh]], India. At that time, she learned of Mother Teresa's work and wanted to share in that service. She soon converted to [[Catholic Church|Catholicism]] and joined the [[Missionaries of Charity]], founded by Mother Teresa.<ref name="melbourne">{{cite web | url=http://www.cam.org.au/Catholic-Faith/Faith-Education/Article/11694/how-india-remembers-mother-teresa | title=How India remembers Mother Teresa | publisher=Catholic Archdiocese of [[Melbourne]] | access-date=11 September 2012}}</ref> Joshi completed a [[master's degree]] in [[political science]] and then went on to secure a doctorate degree in law from the [[University of Calcutta]].<ref name="We are 'little pencils' in God's hand" /><ref name=cnn/> She was one of the first Sisters of the institute to head a foreign mission when she went to Panama. In 1976, Joshi started the [[contemplation|contemplative]] branch of the Missionaries of Charity and remained at its head until 1997, when she was elected to succeed Mother Teresa as Superior General of the institute.<ref name=cnn>{{cite web |title=Indian-born nun to succeed Mother Teresa|date=13 March 1997| url = http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9703/13/india.teresa/ | access-date = 2014-08-03 | publisher = [[CNN]] }}</ref>

The government of India bestowed the [[Padma Vibhushan]], the second highest civilian award, on Sister Joshi on [[Republic Day]] (26 January) 2009 for her services to the nation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Padma Awards Directory (1954–2013) |publisher=[[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 |df=dmy }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/home.do?newUser=yes |title=Padma Vibhushan |access-date=26 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426041146/http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/home.do?newUser=yes |archive-date=26 April 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Her term as Superior General ended on 25 March 2009, and she was succeeded by German born Sister [[Mary Prema Pierick]].<ref name="Sister Nirmala Bio" />

===Death===
Joshi died on 25 June 2015 in [[Kolkata]] from a [[Cardiovascular disease|heart ailment]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Sister Nirmala passes away – The Times of India|url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sister-Nirmala-passes-away/articleshow/47779679.cms|access-date = 2015-06-23}}</ref> Many leaders of India expressed their condolences in media, including Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] and West Bengal Chief Minister [[Mamata Banerjee]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Mother Teresa's Successor, Sister Nirmala Joshi, Dies at 81|url = http://time.com/3931489/sister-nirmala-joshi-mother-teresa-successor-dies/|access-date = 2015-10-25}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522162016/http://www.time.com/time/reports/motherteresa/t970324.html |date=22 May 2011 |title=Time: MOTHER TERESA: Filling the Big Sandals }} Archived from the [https://web.archive.org/web/20110522162016/http://www.time.com/time/reports/motherteresa/t970324.html original] source.
*[http://www.ewtn.com/motherteresa/interview98.htm CWS interview with Mother Teresa's successor]
*[http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9703/13/india.teresa/ Indian-born nun to succeed Mother Teresa]
*[https://indiancatholicmatters.org/sr-nirmala-the-guiding-light/ Sr. Nirmala: The Guiding Light]

{{Portal|Catholicism}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-rel|ca}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Mother Teresa|Saint Teresa]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[Missionaries of Charity|Superior General of the<br>Missionaries of Charity]] | years=1997–2009}}
{{s-aft|after =Sister [[Mary Prema Pierick]]}}
{{end}}

{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joshi, Nirmala}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:People from Ranchi]]
[[Category:Converts to Roman Catholicism from Hinduism]]
[[Category:Indian people of Nepalese descent]]
[[Category:Indian Roman Catholic religious sisters and nuns]]
[[Category:Social workers]]
[[Category:Anti-poverty advocates]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in social work]]
[[Category:Superiors general]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]
[[Category:Indian nuns]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian people]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian educators]]
[[Category:Women educators from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Educators from West Bengal]]
[[Category:People from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Social workers from West Bengal]]
[[Category:People from Syangja District]]
[[Category:20th-century women educators]]
[[Category:21st-century women educators]]

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Nirmala Joshi