About Us

The Lay Missionaries of Charity is a Movement within the Catholic Church founded in the Charism of the Missionaries of Charity and is a branch of the Missionaries of Charity Order.

The Lay Missionaries of Charity are dedicated to a life of growth in holiness, especially within our own families, and live as contemplatives in the heart of the world, serving where we live, especially the poorest of the poor. Our movement began in Rome, Italy in 1984, in the presence of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. and Fr. Sebastian Vazhakala, M.C., with four lay people who wanted to live a life of greater holiness and union with God, and a greater affiliation to the life and work of the Missionaries of Charity. We are now in over fifty countries.

We currently have 379 professed Lay Missionaries of Charity in the United States and 71 aspirants.  They gather in various cities, consisting of 72 groups in 37 states in the U.S. 

In Canada, there are 26 professed members and 17 aspirants.