The wait for Mother Teresa to become Saint Teresa is finally at its conclusion. On September 4 — a day before her 19th death anniversary — she will be canonised by Pope Francis at the Vatican. In attendance will be singer Usha Uthup, who had known the beloved Kolkata missionary for over 45 years.
Uthup, who has chosen to wear blue and off-white sarees while she is there, will also be singing two songs selected by the Vatican — ‘Poorest Of The Poor’ and ‘Laakh Laakh, Hazaar Hazaar, Chahiye Mother Teresa’ at a jubilee celebration for workers on September 3.
I feel it is a great platform internationally for the sarees in the Mother’s colours to be seen.”
Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Oswald Gracias will also be attending the canonisation and concelebrating (jointly officiating) the mass with Pope Francis. Fr Pravin D’souza, secretary to the archbishop, said, “Cardinal Oswald will be joining the Pope, Fr Joe Pereira from Kripa Foundation and other priests at the canonization mass on September 4 at the Vatican. He has some other meetings too, and will also attend those while in Rome.”
In the 1970s, Fr Joe started participating in the activities of Mother Teresa’s foundation, and a decade later founded the Kripa Foundation in Bandra. Ralph D’souza from Kripa Foundation said, “Fr Joe has always been inspired by the great work of Mother Teresa and he is very happy to be concelebrating her canonisation mass with Pope Francis.”
Mumbaikars may not be headed to the Vatican, but they say they will just as well be glued to their television sets.
Judith Monteiro, a Dadar resident who met Mother Teresa in 1995, said, “It is a matter of great pride for us. She was a living saint, but now she will be officially declared as a saint. I met Mother with my father who was in hospital at Holy Family, Bandra. It was a great moment for me.”
The Saint of Kolkata has also inspired Mother Teresa’s Roses, which works with the most vulnerable in Mumbai and Goa.
Founder of the congregation Sr Christobel Fonseca said, “I am unwell or I would have gone for Mother’s canonisation. Nonetheless, I will watch it here in Mumbai. I was miraculously healed by Mother Teresa when I was dying of cancer. Now, I go out onto the streets every day, cleaning and healing the sick and the dying, following in her foot steps.”
Road to sainthood
After Mother Teresa’s death in 1997, the Holy See began the process of her beatification, the third step toward a possible canonisation. This process requires the documentation of a miracle performed from the intercession of Mother Teresa.
In 2002, the Vatican recognised as a miracle the healing of a tumour in the abdomen of an Indian woman, Monica Besra, after the application of a locket containing Mother Teresa’s picture. She was then beatified on October 19, 2003, thereby bestowing on her the title ‘Blessed’.
On 17 December, 2015, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis recognised a second miracle attributed to her involving the healing of a Brazilian man with multiple brain tumors.
The Vatican scheduled September 4, 2016 as the canonisation date for Teresa, following which she will be referred to as Saint Teresa.
(Source: Mid Day)