COLFS History: Mother Teresa

Years before Culture of Life Family Services began, its founders, Deacon Ken and Marie Finn, attended an international conference on the family in Acapulco, Mexico. It was there that they met St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta for the first time.

Dcn. Ken & Marie Finn with Mother Teresa in Acapulco

Mother inspired them. At the conference, she spoke about the importance of the family, God’s plan for the family, and consequences that follow when His plan is forgotten. She spoke about abortion, saying “Always when you want to have a child, you can have it. But if you don’t want it, don’t destroy it. Give it to me.” It was this first encounter with Mother where God showed them that there was much more that could and should be done for families, planting the seeds that would eventually grow into COLFS.

Deacon Ken and Marie would see and write to Mother Teresa on many other occasions. Looking back at this conference, at which the Finn’s also met the Billings’s – who started the Billings Method of natural family planning – one can wonder if COLFS would exist today were it not for these providential encounters.

Dcn. Ken greeting Mother Teresa in San Diego