1. MOTHER TERESA'S
FIRST SISTER TO BE
IMPRISONED IN THE WORLD
There are nearly 760
Convents with 5040
Rev.Sisters of Mother
Teresa serving in the
whole world. Rev. Sr.
Mary Eliza is first MC
Sister to be imprisoned in
the whole world, since
Blessed Mother Teresa
started the Congregation
of Missionary Sisters of
Charity, serving poorest
of the poor. On Friday
night 25th Nov. around
11.00 pm, some police
officers and Officers from
National Child Protection
Authority had arrested
the superior of the
Convent, Rev. Sr. Mary
Eliza and imprisoned her
at Welikada Prison.
Superior General Mother Prema MC Arrives in Sri Lanka
and visits Sr. Eliza in Welikada Prisons
[ Fr. Sunil De Silva - 27.11.2011 ]

2. Very Rev. Sr.Prema MC, Superior General of the Missionary Sisters of Charity ( Mother Teresa's Sisters ) arrived today afternoon, 27th Nov.in Sri
Lanka, having heard that one of her Sisters, Sr. Eliza had been arrested by the Police and put her in the Weliikada Prisons. His Eminence Malcolm
Cardinal Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo received her at the Katunayake airport. His Eminence conveyed that the Sri Lankan Catholic Church is
deeply concerned about the arrest of Rev. Sr. Mary Eliza and the way National Child Protection Authority and the Police has acted to find out
information about "Prem Nivesa".
There are nearly 760 Convents with 5040 Rev.Sisters of Mother Teresa serving in the whole world. Rev. Sr. Mary Eliza is first MC Sister to be
imprisoned in the whole world, since Blessed Mother Teresa started the Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Charity, serving poorest of the poor.
Thereafter Mother Prema together with several other MC Sisters,Very Rev. Fr. Ivan Perera and myself visited Rev. Sr. Eliza in Welikada
prisons.Mother Prema spoke to Sr.Eliza, and asked where she was taken in a van on Friday the 25th November, when she was arrested at "Prem
Nivasa". Sr. Eliza. an Indian Sister, was not aware where she was taken in the middle of the night. and told Mother Prema that they took her to a judge
in Wennappuwa, even though the. "Prem Nivesa " is at Rawathawatta. Mother Prema and several other Sisters spoke to Sr.Eliza, who convinced them
that she is encouraged to face such persecutions with the grace of God and with the blessings from Blessed Mother Teresa.
The Commissioner for Prisons received Mother Prema at the entrance and accompanied her and the other Rev. Sisters and granted permission to take
some for food Sr.Eliza.
A team headed by Anoma Dissanayake, Chairperson of the National Child Protection Authority , including Police officers of the Authority had
surrounded the " Prem Nivesa " at Moratuwa, of the Missionary Sisters of Blessed Mother Teresa on 23rd November 2011 to investigate into the
children and mothers being looked after by the Rev. Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity.
On Friday night around 11.00 pm, some police officers had arrested the superior of the Convent, Rev. Sr. Mary Eliza, an Indian MC Sister and had
taken two other Rev. Sisters to the house of a judge in Ja-ela. In Jaela, Sr. Eliza had been put into another vehicle, while two other Rev. Sisters had
been put into another vehicle and had taken them to Wennappuwa area, saying that the judge has gone to her ancestral home at Wennappuwa. Convent
vehicle which was following the other vehicle lost the sight of the vehicle since it was moving on different routes. There was no time even to send a
lawyer to speak on behalf of the arrested Indian Sister, who was not given a charge-sheet by the police. While Sr. Eliza was imprisoned at Welikada
prisons, other two Sisters were sent back to the Convent..
Very Rev. Sr. Johannes MC, Provincial of the Missionary Sisters in Sri Lanka, said that the Department of Probation and Child Care Services had been
closely working with them to take care of the children and also have received relevant permission of the Department of Probation to lookafter these
children. National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) is an independent body that functions under the Office of the President. The Department of
Probation and Child Care Services which works under the Ministry of Social Services and Social Welfare.
The CID officers and Media went to "Prem Nivasa" on suspicion that they are engaged in child trafficking after receiving an anonymous tip via an
emergency hotline.Some media reported that the Sisters have been selling children and one news paper published an article accusing the Rev. Sisters
of selling the future of the country to foreigners for few thousand rupees. Through that article the writer is trying arouse the feelings and anger of the
ordinary People.

4. [ Photos by Fr.Sunil De Silva ]
Very Rev. Sr. Johannes totally and categorically deny it and said " We never involve in selling these precious lives of the children and never take
money for any of our work. According to the laws of the country, children are given for adoption only through a legal procedure, but never sell their
lives".
Rev. Sr. Mary Eliza is in Welikada prison at the moment.She had put into the common apartment and the Sisters who went to see her today had asked
permission to bring her food, which Prison authority had refused. " Thousands of people are praying for justice and truth together with thousands of
Missionary Sisters around the world.
Sr.Eliza will be produced before the Magistrate Courts No.08 at Hultsdorp, Colombo on Monday, 28th November 2011.
Mother Teresa working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta, on October 7, 1950, received permission from the Holy See to start her
own order, "The Missionaries of Charity", whose primary task was to love and care for those persons nobody was prepared to look after. In 1965 the
Society became an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI.
Mother Teresa tells how she for the first time picked up a woman from the street.,"The woman was half eaten up by rats and ants. I took her to the
hospital, but they could do nothing for her. They only took her because I refused to go home unless something was done for her. After they cared for
her, I went straight to the townhall and asked for a place where I could take these people, because that day I found more people dying in the street. The
employee of health services brought me to the temple of Kali and showed me the "dormashalah" where the pilgrims used to rest after they worshipped
the goddess Kali. The building was empty and he asked me if I wanted it. I was very glad with the offer for many reasons, but especially because it
was the center of prayer for Hindus. Within 24 hours we brought our sick and suffering and started the Home for the Dying Destitutes."
Ever since then, thousands of men, women and children have been taken from the streets of Calcutta to an environment of kindness and love. In their
last hours they met human and Divine Love, and could feel that they also were children of God. For those who didn't die, the Missionaries of Charity
tried to find jobs or they were sent to homes where they could live happily some more years in a caring home.
The biggest problem, according to her, was not the disease but the lack of love and charity, the feeling of being unwanted.
Mother considered abortion as the biggest evil. On abortion she said that:"A nation that destroys the life of an unborn child, who has been created for
living and loving, who has been created in the image of God, is in a tremendous poverty."
"The hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society,
people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone." said Mother Teresa.