With Mother Teresa being canonized as a saint on 4th September India will have six saints of her own. They are — St Gonsalo Garcia, St Alphonsa, St Kuriakose Elias Chavara, St Euphrasia Eluvathingal, St Joseph Vaz and St Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa’s selfless and untiring service to the poor of the poorest, orphaned and sick people on the streets of Kolkata will be remembered by every Indian. It is gratifying to note that Pope Francis, the Head of the Vatican has recognized her charitable services to humanity and will declare her a saint. September 4, 2016 also happens to be Mother Teresa’s 19th death anniversary.
Clad in a white, blue-bordered sari, Mother Teresa along with her sisters of the Missionaries of Charity became a symbol of love, care and compassion for the world. She was a ray of hope for many, including the aged, the destitute, the unemployed, the diseased, the terminally ill, and those abandoned by their families. Blessed with profound empathy, unwavering commitment and unshakable faith since young, she turned her back to the worldly pleasures and focused on serving mankind ever since she was 18. After years of service as a teacher and mentor, Mother Teresa experienced a call within her religious call, which changed her course of life completely, making her what she is known as today. Founder of the Missionaries of Charity, with her fervent commitment and incredible organizational and managerial skills, she developed an international organization that aimed towards helping the impoverished. For her service to humanity she was honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
Jubel D’Cruz
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
