US releases stamp honoring Mother Teresa

The United States of America on September 5 honored Mother Teresa with a special stamp marking the 13th anniversary of Mother Teresa's death.

The stamp features a portrait of Mother Teresa painted by award-winning artist Thomas Blackshear II of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The stamp was unveiled at a function in Washington.

"Noted for her compassion toward the poor and suffering, Mother Teresa, a diminutive Roman Catholic nun and honorary U.S. citizen, served the sick and destitute of India and the world for nearly 50 years," the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) stated in a note.

The 44-cent stamp shows the humanitarian icon wearing her customary shawl and smiling.

The USPS every year puts out stamps honoring significant individuals, events and geographic landmarks.

Mother Teresa was of Albanian ethnicity and an Indian citizen who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata in 1950. For over 45 years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying. She was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

In 1997, the US Congress awarded Mother Teresa the Congressional Gold Medal for her "outstanding and enduring contributions through humanitarian and charitable activities."

The Indian government last month released a five-rupee coin and a souvenir on Mother Teresa to mark her centenary birth anniversary celebrations.

On the occasion, President Patil said: "Mother Teresa was the epitome of compassion and all through her life she served selflessly to spread the message of love and compassion through her work. She was truly the embodiment of the word Mother in its fullest, truest and complete sense."