Marco Rubio visits Saint Teresa’s Mother House in Kolkata

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Mother House, the headquarters of Saint Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, in Kolkata on Saturday. Rubio arrived in Kolkata this morning, the first stop of his maiden four-day visit to India, and was welcomed by US Ambassador Sergio Gor at the city airport. He visited the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity and spoke with its officials.The Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa in Kolkata, is a Catholic congregation dedicated to serving the poor, sick and destitute across the world. Rubio’s visit, Sister Concettina, the Secretary General of the Missionaries of Charity, says, “It was his initiative to come to the Mother House, and it was a joy for us to welcome him because he wanted to receive blessings at Mother’s tomb. We prayed together, and that is about all. Nothing else really happened... It was just like a family get-together.”

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: On US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit, Sister Concettina, the Secretary General of the Missionaries of Charity, says, "It was his initiative to come to the Mother House, and it was a joy for us to welcome him because he wanted to receive… https://t.co/SbtNRW6qeq pic.twitter.com/CXhvj66Acw

— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2026

In a post on X, Gor, the US Ambassador to India, said, "Secretary Marco Rubio has landed in Kolkata. This is his first trip to India. Later today, we will call on Prime Minister @narendramodi in New Delhi. Trade, Technology, Defense, QUAD, and many other items to discuss and advance over the next few days!" Rubio's arrival in the eastern metropolis ended a 14-year gap since a US secretary of state last visited the city. It also came only weeks after West Bengal witnessed a major political transition with a BJP-led government assuming office.