hat she wanted was for the city of Boston to turn over three vacant two- and three-family buildings to her religious order to create housing, daycare and recreation space for unwed mothers and their infants and young children.
City attorney Joe Mulligan was with my wife, Kathy, at the time. Joe advised us that we didn’t have the authority under the City Charter to give the property away to any group, regardless of the need or merit. It could only be sold through a public auction, with the property going to the highest bidder. All the back, uncollected taxes would have to be paid to the city by the new owner.
Repeated explanations [were given] by me, with an emphatic, “I’m sorry, Mother, but the law does not allow the mayor or anyone else to deed over this or any other parcels of property.” The meeting lasted almost an hour, with Mother Teresa smiling and assuring us how lucky we were to be able to help these beautiful children.
After each moving presentation, we responded with the same apologetic refusal. However, I did agree to voluntarily raise several hundred thousands of dollars, which I felt would be enough money to get one house in an open auction. But, even with that, she said the children needed three houses.
