Co-founder of Mother Teresa's priestly order dies

(October 19, 2010) The priest who co-founded with Mother Teresa of Kolkata the priests’ branch of the Missionaries of Charity order passed away last week. The Mexican Archdiocese of Tijuana reported that Missionary of Charity Father Joseph Michael Langford died on Oct 14. The 59-year old priest was born in Ohio, US, on June 25, 1951, and ordained in Rome on March 25, 1978. He worked as a volunteer with Mother Teresa's missionaries, until they founded together the priestly branch in 1984. He started to work in the Archdiocese of Tijuana in 1988, serving as the superior-general of the Missionaries of Charity priests, and from 1998-1999 as the pastoral vicar of the archdiocese. He served for a time in Rome and returned again in the early years of this decade to Tijuana, where he remained until his death. Last year, he published a book on the founder: "Mother Teresa's Secret Fire." His funeral was scheduled for Wednesday.