The message from His Holiness Pope Francis, for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, appeals to “Hope and act with Creation” (…) that our life may become a song of love for God and care for our common home” (Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, 2024). In this sense, and referring to Caring, a sequence of testimonies have been collected, which report transformative aspects, in relation to caring for the most vulnerable persons. The reader should not get caught up in trivialities, but rather in the sensitive, transcendent and non-transferable content of the reported experiences.
– Care in Calcutta: A Transformative Experience of Humanizing Care –
“During my volunteer experience in Kolkata, India, I experienced profound transformation — both personally and professionally. Working directly with the Missionaries of Charity, in homes founded by Mother Teresa, made me rethink the true meaning of care. Being in that chaotic city marked by extreme poverty taught me that caring goes far beyond medical techniques: caring is, above all, a dedication from the heart.
I remember well my first impact when I arrived in Calcutta. It is a city that cannot be explained by photographs or words — the constant noise, the pollution that covers the sun, the streets full of homeless people, lonely children and people in unimaginable health conditions. Reality was a constant shock. But within this chaos I discovered a place that radiated peace: Mother Teresa House. It was there that I realized that, no matter how bad the situation around us was, the care and dignity we offered people completely changed the meaning of suffering.
In the homes where I worked, we cared for completely abandoned people — the elderly, people with disabilities, people at the end of their lives. I spent most of my time in two homes: Prendam, a home for the elderly, some with severe disabilities, and Kalighat, the first home founded by Mother Teresa, where the dying are welcomed.
On a daily basis, we cared for complex wounds, often resulting from pressure ulcers in patients who had been neglected for years. One of the most serious wounds I treated showed exposed bone, with maggots in the necrotic flesh. This situation required not only clinical skills, but also a human approach that welcomes, regardless of the severity of the condition. It was a constant exercise in clinical practice associated with respect for human dignity, even in precarious conditions.
It was in Kalighat that I realized that the most important gesture, often, was holding someone’s hand. There were days when my job was simply to hold the hand of a lady who could no longer speak. And that’s when I learned that for many people, being seen, being touched, and being loved is the greatest care that can be offered.
As a healthcare professional, my experience in Calcutta gave me a different perspective on my work. Calcutta taught me that material resources are important, but the most important thing is surrender. You don’t need to have the most modern hospital or the best equipment to offer decent care. The essence of care is in presence, in human touch, in attentive listening. After all, as Mother Teresa said: “We cannot do great things, but small things with great love.”
Mónica Calderón
As a vivid and colorful portrait, this report gives body and texture to the abstract and subjective concept of Caring. Let us recall the papal words in 2022, at the Angelus, 18 september: “(…) do not use the goods of this world only for yourselves and your selfishness, but use them to generate friendships, to create good relationships, to act in charity, to promote fraternity and to exercise care for the weakest” (Vatican News, 2022).
This statement is in line with what is described by Leonardo Boff, in his work “Saber Cuidar” published in 1999, where he stated that “Caring is more than an act; it’s an attitude. Therefore, it encompasses more than a moment of attention, zeal and care. It represents an attitude of occupation, concern, responsibility and emotional involvement with others” (Boff, 1999, p. 33). The human being is a being that requires care and needs to be cared for, and it is through this that the singularities of his existence are projected, the discovery of his strength, his weaknesses, crises, health and suffering, in a demand as important as the integral healing of the human being.
Authors:
Mónica Calderón de Sousa Nazareth : Master’s Student in Nursing – Child and Pediatric Health Nursing, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Escola de Enfermagem de Lisboa, Portugal. monicapimentelcalderon@gmail.com
Joana Romeiro: Invited Assistant Professor, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing, Escola de Enfermagem de Lisboa, Post-Doctoral Program in Integral Human Development, Católica Doctoral School (CADOS), Interdisciplinary Health Research Center (CIIS), Portugal. jromeiro@ucp.pt ; joana.m.romeiro@gmail.com ORCID: 0000-0001-8867-2183
OpenEdition sugere que esta publicação seja citada da seguinte forma:
joanaromeiro (6 de Fevereiro de 2025). Vivid fragments of human development in caring for others. Desenvolvimento Humano Integral. Recuperado em 22 de Março de 2025 de https://doi.org/10.58079/139jl
2 comentários a “Vivid fragments of human development in caring for others”
Thank you for your kind words to this work Helga.
What an amazing and transformative experience! The humanization of care is always the centerpiece of action!