Anand Bheemarasetti founded 'Project Finding Calcutta' inspired by Mother Teresa's call to serve the poor locally. Bheemarasetti first encountered Mother Teresa in his hometown of Visakhapatnam, India, in 1996. The project encourages lay people to find and serve the sick, suffering, and lonely in their immediate surroundings. Bheemarasetti, despite being a software engineer, was deeply moved by Mother Teresa's ministry.
about 2 months ago
Anand Bheemarasetti, inspired by Mother Teresa after meeting her at age 10 in India, founded Project Finding Calcutta in 2019 in Dallas, Texas.1
The project embodies Mother Teresa's call to "find your own Calcutta" by serving the sick, suffering, and lonely locally rather than traveling abroad.1
Starting with Bheemarasetti's family and friends, the initiative expanded rapidly, engaging 2,500 volunteers in 2025.1
It partners with parishes and organizations, aiming to spread to more cities and dioceses.1
Volunteers participate in "Service Saturdays," visiting nursing homes, aiding the homeless, and supporting the sick.1
Additional efforts include writing letters to Texas death row prisoners to bring Christ into overlooked areas.1
At the SEEK 2026 conference in Fort Worth, Texas, the project featured a booth with a Mother Teresa-themed tuk-tuk and raffled a free Calcutta mission trip.1
It drew attention from 6,000 attendees, encouraging local service over international focus.1
Kristin Velasquez highlighted how service breaks comfort zones, fostering daily encounters like conversations at red lights.1
Recent convert Matthew Tull described finding Christ in the poor, urging others to start with simple interactions.1
Annual spring break trips to Calcutta allow college students to serve with Missionaries of Charity and visit Mother Teresa's tomb.1
Summer internships in Dallas for ages 18+ combine service and prayer.1
Bheemarasetti hopes laity will continue Mother Teresa's work alongside her religious sisters.1
Visit ProjectFindingCalcutta.com for involvement opportunities.1
Lay Catholic ministry should prioritize local service to the poorest
Catholic teaching unequivocally affirms that service to the poor, particularly the poorest, forms a central pillar of the Church's mission, with lay Catholics called to play a vital role in this work, especially at the local level. While lay ministry encompasses evangelization, education, and sanctification of the temporal order, the sources emphasize a preferential option for the poor as non-negotiable, urging laity to prioritize concrete, hands-on charity that reflects Christ's own identification with those in need . This analysis explores how this priority aligns with—and sometimes challenges—broader lay apostolate, drawing on papal addresses, apostolic exhortations, and episcopal documents.
The Church's social doctrine places the poor at the heart of Christian action, viewing service to them not as optional but as a prophetic sign of fidelity to Christ. Pope John Paul II repeatedly stressed that confronting poverty demands active, practical love, especially amid "new forms of poverty" like marginalization in urban and rural areas. This extends to all baptized faithful, but laity are uniquely positioned to respond locally through schools, aid centers, and direct assistance, without turning communities into mere "social agencies". Similarly, in North Africa, bishops were commended for aiding the destitute via Caritas and personal sharing, recognizing every human's dignity as God's image.
Pope Francis echoes this in Laudato Si', insisting that ecological and social crises cannot be addressed without prioritizing the poor, whose "desperate and degrading poverty" indicts societal inequalities . He critiques obsessions with environmental protection that ignore human trafficking or the unborn, calling for an "integral approach" where poverty is multidimensional—material, social, and spiritual. Local service counters this by fostering community amid overcrowding and violence , proving love's power over brutality.
Vatican II marked "the hour of the laity," summoning them to apostolate in temporal affairs, including eradicating hunger, promoting development, and aiding the needy . Lay ministry—rooted in Baptism and Confirmation—involves roles like catechists, visitors to the sick, and charity workers, cooperating with pastors for the ecclesial community's growth . The U.S. Bishops highlight lay ecclesial ministers in parishes, schools, and agencies, sustaining needs from catechesis to charitable works.
Yet, sources warn against "clericalizing" the laity or limiting them to reception of doctrine; they must sanctify the world from within, especially by ordering society justly. Pope John Paul II urged U.S. bishops to form lay ministers doctrinally, ensuring they embrace full Gospel proclamation while engaging social realities. In Ecclesia in America, charitable initiatives like soup kitchens and hospitals testify to "preferential love for the poor," evangelizing by proclaiming "Good News to the poor" (Lk 4:18). This local focus uncovers evil's roots, proposing structural justice.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta embodies lay-like service (as a religious but inspiring laity), prioritizing the "poorest of the poor" in slums, washing sores, and nursing the dying . Her "call within a call" to quench Christ's thirst drove Missionaries of Charity's local outreach, challenging global selfishness . Pope John Paul II hailed her as fulfilling Jesus' Messianic program, a "compelling lesson in compassion" amid hedonism. In India, her work—alongside Catholic schools and hospitals serving non-Catholics—testifies to charity's eloquence .
Recent recognition of her September 5 memorial underscores her as a "model of mercy" and "icon of the Good Samaritan," serving the least to radiate Christ's love. Bishops in India were encouraged to emulate her simplicity in programs like orphanages and leprosaria, proving laity can lead such efforts despite resource shortages.
While sources prioritize the poor, lay ministry is not exclusively local service; it includes education, politics, culture, and evangelization . Christifideles Laici frames laity within ecclesiology of communion, avoiding elitism . Pope John Paul II cautioned against reducing laity to social work alone, urging balance with priestly, prophetic roles. In Baltimore, Catholic Relief Services exemplifies deepening Catholic identity amid service, defending life from conception to death alongside aid.
Controversies arise in implementation: guidelines for formation prevent blurring ordained/lay lines, and resources limit scope . Where sources converge, recent ones like Laudato Si' (2015) take precedence, integrating poverty with ecology. COMECE (2021) highlights poor as "protagonists," demanding inclusion beyond aid.
In sum, lay Catholic ministry must prioritize local service to the poorest as Christ's direct command (Mt 25:31-46) , but within holistic apostolate. This fosters solidarity, evangelizes, and transforms society, as seen in Teresa's legacy. Catholics are called to heroic charity today, quenching Christ's thirst locally while advancing justice globally.