Christians pay tribute to Mother Teresa on 98th birth anniversary

Amidst the increasing religious commotion in Orissa, Christians in the country commemorated the 98th birth anniversary of Mother Teresa with prayers and petition for peace and harmony between the communities.

The occasion was attended by hundreds of people, many of them drawn from some of the city’s poorest communities, to whom she had dedicated her life’s work.

A special mass was held on August 26 at the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity, during which an appeal was made for prayers for suffering Christians in Orissa.

A Catholic source noted that the chapel was filled with nuns, co–workers, volunteers, friends, reporters and television crews as usual, but elaborate decorations, gaiety and rejoicing were absent.

Calcutta archdiocese's Father Michael Bhaju who led the Mass appealed to people to pray for peace in Orissa. He urged the nuns to keep their founder's memory alive by following her steps in love, reconciliation, truth and gentleness.

Mother Teresa, an Albanian Roman Catholic nun with Indian citizenship, born on August 26, 1910, founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata.

She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 1980 for her humanitarian work.

The Christian nun internationally famed as a humanitarian and advocate for the poor and helpless, was beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

According to present estimate, the Missionaries of Charity numbering over 450 brothers and 5,000 nuns worldwide operates 600 missions, schools and shelters in 120 countries.