Missionaries of Charity Missionaries of Charity The Missionaries of Charity () is a Roman Catholic (Latin Church) religious congregation established in 1950 by Mother Teresa, now known in the Catholic Church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta. In 2012 it consisted of over 4,500 religious sisters. Members of the order designate their affiliation using the order's initials, "M.C." A member of the congregation must adhere to the vows of chastity, poverty, obedience, and the fourth vow, to give "wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor." Today, the order consists of both contemplative and active branches in several countries. Missionaries care for those
Nirmala (sect) Udasis, the Nirmalas interpret the teachings of the Sikh Gurus in context of Vedanta. They view the first Sikh Guru, Nanak, as an Advaita Vedantist, a follower of Shankara, and a defender of the "Sanatana dharma". However, compared to the Udasis, the Nirmalas have shared a closer relationship the mainstream Khalsa Sikhs. Many prominent Nirmala sants preached mainstream Sikhism in Punjab, and Nirmala akharas have played an important role in training Sikhs. But after the Akali movement, the Khalsa attempts to create a Sikh identity completely distinct from Hindus made the Khalsa-Nirmala relationship fragile. The Nirmala Panchaati akhara at Kankhal,