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The Turning: The Sisters Who Left

iHeart True Crime
  • 4.9 (142)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • SERIES

Thousands of women gave up everything to follow Mother Teresa, joining her storied Catholic order, the Missionaries of Charity. But some found that life inside this fiercely private religious order was not what they’d imagined. Former sisters who worked closely with Mother Teresa describe her bold vision and devotion to charity and prayer. But they also share stories of suffering and forbidden love, abuse and betrayal. If you make a lifelong vow, what does it mean to break it? What is the line between devotion and brainwashing? Can you truly give yourself to God?

  1. S1: Ep 1 - No Turning Back

    EPISODE 1

    S1: Ep 1 - No Turning Back

    PART ONE - We enter a hidden world behind convent walls to learn what it’s like for a young sister to join the Missionaries of Charity. MC sisters take strict vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor. As aspirants, they start to learn the rules of this closed society, one that contains secret ceremonies and countless rituals   For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunch This series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeO   TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/transcripts   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    49 min
  2. S1: Ep 2 - Love, To Be Real, Has To Hurt

    EPISODE 2

    S1: Ep 2 - Love, To Be Real, Has To Hurt

    PART TWO - The sisters learn more about sacrificial love and what it means to be married to Jesus. Mother Teresa believed suffering brings you closer to Christ, so the sisters look for opportunities for sacrifice – including sacrifices Mary never expected. She also meets a charismatic sister who makes her question whether God’s love is enough.   For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunch This series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeO   TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/transcripts   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    46 min
  3. S1: Ep 3 - Mother

    EPISODE 3

    S1: Ep 3 - Mother

    PART THREE - She wasn’t always a saint. When Mother Teresa is 36 years old, she hears a mystical voice on a train. Then she has visions — visions she believes are sent by God to tell her to bring souls to Jesus. Little does she know these moments of near ecstasy will lead her to international celebrity. But her path to founding her own religious institute is dotted with challenges and skepticism, even spiritual darkness.   For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunch This series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeO   TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/transcripts   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    42 min
  4. S1: Ep 4 - The Devil's Advocates

    EPISODE 4

    S1: Ep 4 - The Devil's Advocates

    PART FOUR - The world’s most admired woman lived a life dedicated to helping the poor – but was it always in their best interest?  After Mother Teresa became famous, controversial claims about her work began to emerge. Dangerous medical practices? Secret baptisms? In this episode, we meet Mother Teresa's biggest critics and hear from sisters who were there.   For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunch This series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeO   TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/transcripts   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    37 min
  5. S1: Ep 5 - Particular Friendship

    EPISODE 5

    S1: Ep 5 - Particular Friendship

    PART FIVE - MC sisters are forbidden from having “particular friendships.” They’re not supposed to get close to anyone. They’re supposed to detach from their human relationships so that they can focus on God. They live a vow of chastity to the extreme. But even in the convent, secret love emerges, and two sisters begin a forbidden relationship.   For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunch This series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeO   TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/transcripts   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    46 min
  6. S1: Ep 6 - The Third Floor

    EPISODE 6

    S1: Ep 6 - The Third Floor

    PART SIX - Siblings Joan and Sue both join the Missionaries of Charity, and they steal secret moments on the third floor — the only time they can be alone to talk. Like all MC sisters, they live by the vow of obedience. Their story shows how power works in the order: who has power, and what happens when you push back on it. Sue grapples with this from above, as a superior; Joan from below.    Content warning: This episode includes a mention of suicide.  If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the United States at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). You can find a list of additional resources at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources. More support (via text) can be found at: https://www.crisistextline.org/   For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunch This series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeO   TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/transcripts   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    45 min
  7. S1: Ep 7 - Silence

    EPISODE 7

    S1: Ep 7 - Silence

    PART SEVEN - This episode contains descriptions of alleged sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advised.   We meet two former sisters who say they wanted more than anything to be part of the Missionaries of Charity. Along the road to taking their first vows, they allege their mistresses took advantage of the vow of obedience. They claim they were sexually abused by the women tasked with guiding them through the early days of their religious vocation — one in 1987 and the other in 2014. This episode was produced in partnership with Type Investigations.   For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunch This series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeO   TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/transcripts   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    53 min
  8. S1: Ep 8 - Saint of Darkness

    EPISODE 8

    S1: Ep 8 - Saint of Darkness

    PART EIGHT - "She used to tell us, ‘If ever I will be a saint, I will be the saint of darkness.’ ... And we didn't know what she meant."   For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunch This series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeO   TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/transcripts   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    46 min
  9. S1: Ep 9 - Highway of Broken Glass

    EPISODE 9

    S1: Ep 9 - Highway of Broken Glass

    PART NINE - Is this a cult? How do you leave?   For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunch This series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeO   TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/transcripts   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    47 min
  10. S1: Ep 10 - Out There

    EPISODE 10

    S1: Ep 10 - Out There

    PART TEN - “I couldn’t come to any clarity unless I took off the habit and was seen.”   For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunch This series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeO   TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/transcripts   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    46 min
  11. S1: Ep Bonus - Kelli

    BONUS

    S1: Ep Bonus - Kelli

    BONUS - You know Kelli Dunham from previous episodes. Kelli joined the Missionaries of Charity looking for a life that made sense. That’s not what she found. She had a painful exit from the MCs.  But there’s so much more to her story. We talked with Kelli about her life before the Missionaries of Charity and after. About her faith. About her comedy. But mostly about her complicated relationship with her mom.   For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunch This series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeO   TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/transcripts   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    36 min
  12. S1: Ep Bonus - Bride of Christ

    BONUS

    S1: Ep Bonus - Bride of Christ

    BONUS - Jenna Cooper is a 36-year-old consecrated virgin who lives in Winona, Minnesota. She tells us what that means, what her life is like now, and what it’s like to feel called when you’re 12 years old.   For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunch This series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeO   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min
See All Season 1 (12)

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4.9
out of 5
142 Ratings

About

Thousands of women gave up everything to follow Mother Teresa, joining her storied Catholic order, the Missionaries of Charity. But some found that life inside this fiercely private religious order was not what they’d imagined. Former sisters who worked closely with Mother Teresa describe her bold vision and devotion to charity and prayer. But they also share stories of suffering and forbidden love, abuse and betrayal. If you make a lifelong vow, what does it mean to break it? What is the line between devotion and brainwashing? Can you truly give yourself to God?

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