Susan Conroy '87

On what she learned from Mother Teresa

"When I went off to DartmouthI wasn't sure if I'd continue topractice my faith. I wondered if I were Catholic because it was expected or because I wanted to be."

"I had the time of my life at Dartmouth. I spent my share of Saturday nights dancing at parties on fraternity row then walked past it on my way to Mass at Aquinas House on Sunday mornings. I look back on having good, clean fun—whether it was at parties or canoeing on the Connecticut River."

"When I started dreaming of goingto work with Mother Teresa, I keptit inside. I didn't think any of my friends would understand. When I started to share my hopes, people were in awe. They were silenced."

"I will be forever grateful to Jan Tarjan '74 at the Tucker Foundation. When I went to her asking for support to go to India— on my own, without a real program—she could have said, 'We can't help you,' and closed the door. She took such a big chance. And it changed my life."

"I still feel bad for my roommates. They remind me that senior year all I talked about was India. I was on fire with how meaningful my time there was. In the larger community, everyone kept asking me to talk about Mother Teresa. It was very therapeutic."

"I live very much in this world. I alwayshave."

"Faith was at the heart of MotherTeresa's work. She wasn't working for some thing, she was serving some One. That's why she never burned out. She wasn't doing social work, she was serving God in his distressing disguise as 'the poorest of the poor.'"

"Joy is more lasting than pleasure."

"Mother Teresa's sense of humor would surprise people. So many photos of her are solemn or even sad-looking. In reality, she was very funny; she always had great one-liners."

"So many people are afraid of dealing with dying people—I was so afraid before I did it—yet there is a beauty and a sacredness to the process. I never knew I had the gifts to work with the dying. I was so surprised to learn that I could bring peace and joy."

"When Mother was beatified last fall she seemed to want mein Rome. She has a funny way of making things happen. I got there as part of a private Texas pilgrimage that was inadvertently posted on the Internet. Then I was invited to speak to some Virginia pilgrims, one of whom came up to me and handed me a ticket. He thought it would get me in the door of the Mass in Mother Teresas honor at St. Peters Basilica. As it turned out, it got me seated by the altar—with cardinals."

"Within weeks of Mother Teresa's death I witnessed a miraclein my own family. When my sister, Ann, was rushed to the hospital with a respiratory problem, the family was told her carbon dioxide levels were 'inconsistent with life.' Her husband was with her while I prayed the rosary with her sons, asking Mother to intercede. Before she went on life support, my sister told her husband: 'I just saw Mother Teresa, and she loves me.' The next day she was off the respirator. She's had no problems since."

"I'm spending every penny of my savings to promote mybook, and all the sales are going to charity. I couldn't have gone to Calcutta and profited from my experiences. I'll keep the proceeds of my next book."

"For 10 years I've been volunteering in theinfirmary of a convent. My sisters tell me: 'You're never going to meet anyone there!'"

'If I could speak with Bill Gates, I'd give himmy one little idea: Calcutta is" a mess; other places are too. Let's give everyone a mop and pail and pay them to clean up the streets. It would make these places more appealing and give people dignity."

"It's important that we're all trying tohelp others. My purpose is to love with all my heart and to put this love into action."

EDUCATION: A.B., economics PERSONAL: Single; resides in South Portland, Maine VOLUNTEER WORK: Mother Teresa's Home for the Dying Destitutes and Missionaries of Charity Children's Home, Calcutta, India, summer 1986 and winter 1991 CAREER: Author; artist; translator of the writings of Saint Therese of Lisieux from French into English, notably The Powerof Confidence (Alba House); program assistant, Maine Children's Cancer Center, Pordand, Maine, 1987-1990; tax specialist, Unum Provident Life Insurance Cos., Portland, Maine, 1993-present NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT: Author of Mother Teresa'sLessons of Love & Secrets ofSanctity (Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division)