ABOUT US
About the Institute
Mother Teresa Institute (MTI) is an outgrowth of the work and activities of The Mother Teresa Center, a non-profit organization established and directed by the religious family founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, The Missionaries of Charity.
The aim of the MTI is to preserve, protect, promote, and develop the authentic legacy of Saint Teresa of Calcutta to the Church and to the world. The MTI will provide resources to students, scholars and researchers who are interested in Mother Teresa, her life, charism and message, giving them the opportunity to study in depth one of the great saints of modern times and a humanitarian figure who made an enormous difference to the welfare of the poorest of the poor and had broad influence in the Church and the world.
"God is love, and when we love we are like God. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “Be perfect as your Father is perfect".
Mother Teresa
About St. Teresa
Mother Teresa of Calcutta (Gonxha Agnes Bojaxhiu) was born of Albanian parents in Skopje in 1910. Journeying as a missionary to India, she labored many years as a teacher before hearing the “call within the call,” “to give up all and follow Him into the slums—to serve Him in the poorest of the poor,” and so satiate the thirst of Jesus for love and the salvation of souls by founding the Missionaries of Charity. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 19 October 2003, and was canonized by Pope Francis on 4 September 2016. Her legacy lives on today, across the globe, through the tireless work of the Missionaries of Charity. For more on Mother Teresa, please see the “About St. Teresa – Biography” section.
Meet Our Team
Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk, MC, is the director of the Mother Teresa Institute and the Mother Teresa Center. He served as the postulator for the canonization of Mother Teresa. He is the author of numerous books about Mother Teresa, including A Call to Mercy and Just a Pencil in God’s Hands: Reflections in Honor of a Saint. Fr. Brian directs all operations at the institute, recruiting volunteers, educating others about Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity, responding to phone calls, messages and emails, and giving presentations about Mother Teresa. His strong faith and devotion to Mother Teresa coupled with wisdom and a sense of humor allow others to see the Missionaries of Charity spirit in action.
Monique LeBlanc is the executive assistant to Fr. Brian. She has volunteered with the Missionaries of Charity for over three years, volunteering twice in Calcutta. Her passion and strong devotion to Mother Teresa inspire the team to think outside the box and move forward while keeping focused on Mother Teresa’s message and character. From greeting visitors and answering phone calls to cataloguing books, paying bills, and designing pamphlets, Monique is at the center of all operations and one of the first points of contact for visitors at the institute.
Shuvo Bardhan is the Technical Director of MTI. Currently, he is the Head of Research and Development at Zeron; and prior to that, he has worked at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a Computer Scientist for almost five years. Additionally, he has completed his MPS in Cyber Risk Management from Georgetown University and MS (by Research) from IIT Kharagpur.
Will Gomes is MTI’s technical specialist and consultant. He completed his bachelor’s degree and masters in Computer Science from University of Maryland, College Park. He has over 20 years professional IT experience in higher education with the University of Maryland. With his experience he provides management and support of MTI’s IT infrastructure and archival processes.
Madeline Cooper is a volunteer at the Mother Teresa Institute with a background in teaching. She also volunteers with the Missionaries of Charity at the Gift of Peace Home in Washington, DC. She assists the other members of the team at MTI, relaying messages, providing ideas, taking photos, arranging books and organizing files in the MTI archive. Madeline also helps update the institute’s website and social media pages, applying dedication and versatility to benefit the team.
Amelia Giordano is MTI’s Student Intern. She is an undergraduate at Georgetown University studying International History and Theology. At MTI, she supports archival organization, helping to process material for future research. She is also involved in conducting and producing interviews which will be published by MTI to spread and preserve knowledge about Mother Teresa, MTI, and the MCs.