by C.M. Paul
Darjeeling – Continuing celebrations marking canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Darjeeling town re- named a road to honour Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 3 rd December 2016.
Bishop Stephen Lepcha of Darjeeling named Rockville Road which starts below Telephone Exchange and ends at Television Tower in Darjeeling to St Teresa of Calcutta in the presence of eminent citizens including
Darjeeling Member of the Legislative Assembly Prof. Amar Rai, Municipal Chairman and Councilors.
The narrow and steep “S” shaped road about 200 meters long has Missionaries of Charity (MC) Sishu Bhavan which Mother Teresa started as her first foundation in the hills in 1967.
Since two years, following government restrictions on running children’s home, six MC Sisters and their helpers today take care of 57 elderly and sick people in the facility.
“It is indeed historic and fitting that we have named this road in honour of Mother Teresa who got her call to serve the poorest of the poor on the train ride to Darjeeling,” said Bishop Stephen Lepcha of Darjeeling speaking at the road side inaugural function thanking the civil authorities who made the re-naming of the road possible.
There is a marble dedication slab at the start of the road below Telephone Exchange and another dedication slab at the other end of the road below Television Tower.
After the blessing of the first slab a motley crowd of some 200 people including MC Sisters walked up the steep road to unveil the second slab at the other end of the road close to MC House.
After the road renaming ceremony the MC Sisters hosted the people to refreshments much appreciated on a cold December day.
The president of the Diocesan Catholic Association Mr Patrick Sada and his team was instrumental in facilitating the process of road re-naming in honour of St Teresa of Calcutta.
The Dean and Rector of the Cathedral parish Fr Samuel Lepcha recalled events held in Darjeeling in connection with the canonization of Mother Teresa.
Among several events held in the hill town to honour St Teresa of Calcutta Fr Lepcha listed special novena prayers conducted at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral Church, an all-faith prayer for peace and unity at the Gorkha Ranga Manch Bhawan, and a giant LED screen installed in Darjeeling town’s Chowrasta Mall, beaming live the canonisation ceremony in Vatican on September 4.
Also on September 4, the members of the Darjeeling branch of the Lay Missionaries of Charity (LMC) under the leadership of their chaplain the principal of St Robert’s School Dr (Fr.) Peter Lingdamo took an 8-km ride on the iconic Darjeeling Himalayan Railway’s toy train to retrace the trip Mother Teresa took on September 10, 1946.
The narrow gauge track steam engine would pass through several zigzags and loops on the way to negotiate steep gradients along Hill Cart Road (National Highway 55) and climb to a height of 7,407 feet above sea level to Ghoom – highest altitude railway station in Asia, and go down to Darjeeling 6,812 feet above sea level covering a distance of 88 kms in a little over 10 hours.
Darjeeling branch director of LMC Fr Lingdamo said. “The ride in the toy train was symbolic. Maybe some of us will also be enlightened like her.”
On September 10, 1946, during her journey to Darjeeling in the toy train Mother Teresa received the “call within the call” within her soul and the course of her life was decided, Fr Lingdamo said.
Lay Missionaries of Charity (LMC) is an International Association of ‘lay persons’ (married and single) adhering to the Spirit of the Missionaries of Charity.
Mother Teresa’s legacy remains strong in the hills as apart from LMC chapters, branches of the MC (Missionaries of Charity) continue to work for the welfare of the poor, needy and homeless in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong sub-divisions.
The Loreto Sisters to whom Mother Teresa originally belonged came to Darjeeling in 1846 and established the first school in the hills. For many years, the novitiate of the Indian branch of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary was in Darjeeling, and Mother Teresa made her novitiate here from 1929 to 1931.