By Nirmala Carvalho
The Missionaries of Charity prayed today at the tomb of the foundress born 111 years ago. Several Indian politicians also wanted to remember her service to all humanity on her birthday today.
CALCUTTA, INDIA — Today is the birthday of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who was born on August 26, 1910 in Kosovo. Like every year, the Missionaries of Charity, the order she founded, celebrated this date with a special moment of prayer in the mother house in Calcutta, where the saint is buried. In the presence of Superior Sister Prema, the sisters prayed for peace in the world and in the hearts of people, singing hymns in memory of Mother Teresa. A Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Alex Dias, bishop emeritus of Port Blair.
On the initiative of AsiaNews, a special prayer intention was read for Fr. Bernardo Cervellera, former director of this newsagency who is about to reach Hong Kong on his new mission. The vicar general of the archdiocese of Calcutta, Fr. Dominic Gomes, placed a card with this prayer on Mother Teresa’s tomb.
Several Indian politicians also wanted to remember the saint of the slum people today. Delhi’s local government chief, Arvind Kejriwal, recalled volunteering to serve alongside her. “I worked at the Kalighat ashram: it was a spiritual experience that taught me to put myself at the service of others in my life” Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot wrote in a tweet that “compassion is Mother Teresa’s selfless service for the welfare of humanity remain a source of inspiration.” Indian Union Minister Hardeep Puri also celebrated the woman today, who was awarded “the Bharat Ratna (India’s highest honor ed.) and the Nobel Laureate for her life dedicated to the service of humanity.”
