Mother Teresa’s Friend Tells of Trip

Marlene Elias said she knows her life is blessed.

Otherwise, how would she, a 64-year-old housewife and gospel singer from Newbury Park, have ever befriended India’s “Saint of the Gutters,� Mother Teresa, and gotten the chance to sing at the revered nun’s state funeral Saturday?

“It was a truly wonderful experience,� she said of her brief visit to Calcutta. “Getting to see her for one last time, well, it was just my heart’s dream.�

Before a crowd of more than 12,000 people, including heads of state and dozens of other foreign dignitaries, Elias sang two songs inspired by past meetings with Mother Teresa.

“At first I had butterflies, but then the stadium got very quiet,� she said. “I just thanked God for that because the people really wanted to hear the words.�

Mother Teresa’s funeral was of the scope normally reserved for the death of a king or president. That didn’t surprise Elias, considering the impression Mother Teresa had made on the world.

“I told the other nuns that Mother would have been a little embarrassed by all this, because she was so humble,� Elias said. “But she really deserved it.�

Although the mourners at the funeral included many world figures, Elias said it was the ordinary people, such as a disabled child and some people with leprosy who placed gifts on the altar, who made the greatest impression.

“Those were certainly the most touching moments for me,� Elias said. “Those were the people who Mother really loved.�

Elias said that she will continue to put Mother Teresa’s message of compassion and love to work in her own life.

The singer, who works as a receptionist at the Pierce Brothers Mortuary in the Conejo Valley, said that she taped hours of conversations she had with Mother Teresa over the years and hopes to write a book detailing the nun’s words of wisdom. She will also continue traveling the country, visiting groups to present a slide show and talk about Mother Teresa.

“Mother always said that she wanted to be the pencil in God’s hand,� she said. “She has a message for the world and I’m going to try and bring it to the people.�