Kolkata, India: Special Mass to Remember Mother Teresa
- 14 years ago
In India's Kolkata City, thousands gathered for a special mass to celebrate the life of Mother Teresa, known for her work among the poor. Today is the 100th anniversary of her birth.
On Thursday, thousands of devotees gathered in Kolkata to mark the 100th birth anniversary of Mother Teresa.
The doors of Mother House were thrown open at dawn and hundreds of slum dwellers from the city walked in.
Holding candles, they knelt before Mother Teresa's tomb in one of the sprawling halls of the building and prayed.
Mother Teresa opened several homes in Kolkata, including one for those who were old and dying and the other for destitute children.
"Many of us present here have personally met Mother. We have experienced the look of her eyes, the warmth of her smile and her loving touch. We were left with the deep peace and desire to make our life something beautiful for God. I pray that today, Mother may touch us once again and set our hearts on fire with love of God and of the poorest of the poor.”
Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997 at the age of 87. She was popularly known as the 'Saint of the Gutter' for her extraordinary love and dedication to poor, homeless and diseased people.
She came to India in 1929 at the age of 18 and took up teaching, and became an Indian citizen in 1948.
The nun started working in slums and later set up her Missionaries of Charity, which was approved by the Vatican in 1950. The organization now runs more than 500 charity homes in over 100 countries.
Mother Teresa received several national and international awards for social service during her lifetime.
A series of events including a photo exhibition on her life, a film festival screening documentaries and films based on her life are being held to mark the centenary celebrations.
On Thursday, thousands of devotees gathered in Kolkata to mark the 100th birth anniversary of Mother Teresa.
The doors of Mother House were thrown open at dawn and hundreds of slum dwellers from the city walked in.
Holding candles, they knelt before Mother Teresa's tomb in one of the sprawling halls of the building and prayed.
Mother Teresa opened several homes in Kolkata, including one for those who were old and dying and the other for destitute children.
"Many of us present here have personally met Mother. We have experienced the look of her eyes, the warmth of her smile and her loving touch. We were left with the deep peace and desire to make our life something beautiful for God. I pray that today, Mother may touch us once again and set our hearts on fire with love of God and of the poorest of the poor.”
Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997 at the age of 87. She was popularly known as the 'Saint of the Gutter' for her extraordinary love and dedication to poor, homeless and diseased people.
She came to India in 1929 at the age of 18 and took up teaching, and became an Indian citizen in 1948.
The nun started working in slums and later set up her Missionaries of Charity, which was approved by the Vatican in 1950. The organization now runs more than 500 charity homes in over 100 countries.
Mother Teresa received several national and international awards for social service during her lifetime.
A series of events including a photo exhibition on her life, a film festival screening documentaries and films based on her life are being held to mark the centenary celebrations.