Love is Our Religion

as the “inspirational person” that my friend invited me to meet last week. Coaxed into the circle, without stage or “wow” words, she responded to questions with brief vignettes of her experience.

“I had to do something,” was her response to an unspeakable tragedy that happened to a woman who had come asking for her help. Her Maher, or “Mother’s Home,” grew as a movement. Now, over 100 caste-free, interfaith spaces and 25 outreach programs in seven Indian states help destitute, abandoned women, children - and men - walk to wholeness The Maher Way

“What has happened - or happens - in you?” I asked, “An ordinary human being, leading this life, taking your steps of a plan you never dreamt up or desired?”

“I don’t know where it comes from. But I will take 10 days of meditation. And when I do, my people get scared!” She laughs, “I return with even more ideas.”

“I could come and learn from you,” I say. “Come. I’ll learn from YOU.” Correcting herself, “No. Enough with learning. Just come. Let’s be together.”

Sr. Lucy Kurien of India has witnessed countless miracles made by the safety and love of the Maher family. But she dreams that “there will be no need for shelter homes like ours.”

She left me with an expansive, inexplicable joy that morning. My practical and cultural boundaries disappeared, at least for a while. Her dream became real and anything was possible. “OK, then.” I thought, “I need to do something.”

At nineteen, Lucy become a religious sister. Inspired by Mother Teresa's work and called to the lives of the poor, Lucy worked with the Human Organization for Pioneering in Education (HOPE) when she witnessed a horrific incident, spending 7 years coming to grips with how to respond.

In 1997, Sr. Lucy single-handedly founded Maher (Mother’s Home in Marathi), a shelter for women in need. It was soon met with an influx of underprivileged children. 26 years of Lucy’s tireless efforts and support of her team has led to the expansion of the program. Maher now partners with NGOs, government agencies, and multilateral organizations to implement education, health, and skill-development interventions for underserved communities throughout India.