US secretary of state Marco Rubio visited Mother House and Nirmala Shishu Bhavan of the Missionaries of Charity during a “private visit” to Calcutta on Saturday morning, praying at the tomb of Mother Teresa and handing teddy bears to children at the home.
The two Missionaries of Charity institutions were the only places Rubio visited during his 3-hour-45-minute stop in the city.
“Mother Teresa left a tremendous legacy of compassion and service. I was honoured to visit the Missionaries of Charity today to pay homage to her legacy and to see the living example of the Catholic faith in action,” Rubio wrote on X.
He was accompanied by his wife Jeanette D. Rubio and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor.
Rubio landed at Calcutta airport around 6.45am and reached Mother House about an hour later. He stayed there for a little over an hour, laying a wreath at Mother Teresa’s tomb and offering prayers.
Father Moloy D’Costa, vicar-general of the Archdiocese of Calcutta, presided over the Holy Eucharist held there.
Rubio attended the 30-minute Mass before touring Mother House and interacting with the sisters. The gathering was limited to a select group of sisters and delegates, while several nuns watched from the upstairs balcony.
Rubio was received by Sister Marie Juan, councillor of the Missionaries of Charity.
From Mother House near Ripon Street, the convoy travelled to Nirmala Shishu Bhavan, the Missionaries of Charity’s children’s home. “The secretary of state interacted with the children there and handed over teddy bears that he had brought with him,” a nun said.
There are 50 children at the home. Rubio stayed there for around 15 minutes.
Rubio is on a visit to Sweden and India from May 21 to 26. Sources said he flew directly to Calcutta from Sweden on a private jet, which departed for Delhi around 10.30am.
A source at the Missionaries of Charity said security arrangements had been “upgraded” over the past week. The organisers had known about the visit nearly a month in advance.
Rubio’s decision to begin his trip in Calcutta sparked discussion on social media.
Professor and strategic thinker Brahma Chellaney linked the visit to domestic American politics. “As if seeking to pander to the MAGA movement’s religious base, Marco Rubio began his India tour with a visit to the... Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa is a canonized Catholic saint, meaning Rubio’s visit resonated... with his Catholic faith and among US conservative Catholic voters he helps bring into the MAGA fold.”