Biography of Linda Schaefer

Linda Schaefer, photojournalist and author of the exciting and beautifully illustrated Come and See: A Photojournalist’s Journey into the World of Mother Teresa holds the distinction of being the last professional to be granted full access to the late Nobel Prize winner and soon-to-be-sainted nun. Before illness took Mother Teresa out of public view and death stole her from the world, Schaefer lived, worked and photographed inside the orphanages, houses of the dying, and leper colony run by the Missionaries of Charity. This former CNN editor and photojournalist, whose work has appeared in Time, Newsweek, Paris Match, Stern, the NY Times, the LA Times, Catholic Digest, and Parade Magazine, took thousands of full color stills of which the best were selected for this rare glimpse at a true phenomenon.
In 1989, Schaefer worked for CNN producing photographic essays on such topics as a nearly extinct tribe along the Brazilian Amazon, the street children of Rio de Janeiro, and videos on the 1988 Presidential campaign and the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. Her photographs have been exhibited in Atlanta and New York City, as well as at both the Democratic and Republican conventions.

Schaefer’s long-time dream of photographing Mother Teresa came full circle when she was asked by the Catholic Archdiocese to document a visit to Atlanta in 1995. After capturing this special event, Linda found herself traveling to India and directly approaching Mother Teresa with a request to begin photographing her work. The immediate and resounding response was “No!” Instead, she invited Linda to "Come and See" the work of her order, the Missionaries of Charity, by going into the orphanages and houses of the dying to work. Her long hours and eye-opening experiences gave Linda tremendous material for her journals, but it also showed Mother Teresa her dedication for her mission. As a result, Mother Teresa presented Linda with a handwritten note that granted full access to her facilities and staff – a note that led eventually to the book.

Linda Schaefer resides in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the mother of a well-traveled nine year old named Paul. In 2004 Linda and her son joined the Catholic church after attending Mother Teresa’s beautification in Rome, Italy by Pope John Paul II. Her extremely popular topic keeps her very busy on the speaking circuit, as she works on her second book about Mother Teresa, “The Journey to Compassion through Mother Teresa.”