New Zealanders would have an opportunity to honour the late Mother Teresa at a Centennial Meeting scheduled to be held on November 7 in Auckland.
A number of leaders, dignitaries and others would attend the programme, scheduled to be held from 3 pm to 5 pm.
However, the idea of paying homage to the late Mother Teresa whose 100th Birth anniversary was held on August 26, belongs to Wenceslaus Anthony, a devout Christian (and Chairman of WA Marketing Limited and the India New Zealand Business Council).
He approached Indian Newslink about five weeks ago, saying that the late Mother stood for all humanity and that the programme should involve all communities.
Since then, the Mother Teresa Centennial Committee has been established.
It comprises Mr Anthony, Warwick Wright (Catholic Church), Ahemad Bhamji (Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand), Vinod Kumar (Hindu Council of New Zealand), Daljit Singh (Supreme Sikh Council), Robert Newson (Families Commission) and Venkat Raman (Indian Newslink). As well as organising the public meeting to pay homage to Mother Teresa, the Centennial Committee, at its first meeting held at the office of Megasons Mitre 10 on September 6 decided to consider ‘ongoing projects’ that would not only reflect and relive the beliefs of the departed Mother but also promote overall wellbeing and integration of communities.
Mr Wright said the forthcoming public meeting would be an “incredible opportunity to bring together in unity people of Auckland of different faiths and cultures.”
“Such a meeting would reinforce the plurality of the New Zealand society and our belief in mutual respect for all communities, religious and social beliefs. Mother Teresa stood for the common good of people and worked for the uplift of the poor and the downtrodden. It is befitting that we should come together to celebrate her birth centenary,” he said.
Catholic Bishop of Auckland Diocese Most Rev Bishop Patrick Dunn is supporting the forthcoming event and would be among the speakers.
Further details of the programme will appear in our next issue.
A Grateful world remembers Mother Teresa
She led a life of piety, self-denial and selfless sacrifice to tend to the impoverished and the downtrodden and dedicated herself to the cause of humanity.
It is now the turn of the world to pay homage to one of the greatest souls that humankind has known and a soul that is on the threshold of Sainthood.
India led the world in marking Mother Teresa’s 100th Birthday on August 26, with President Pratibha Patil releasing a Five Rupee Commemorative Coin in New Delhi.
She described Mother Teresa as “The epitome of compassion and one of the noblest souls of our times.”
“She was truly the embodiment of the word, Mother,’ in its fullest, truest and complete sense. It has been truly said that God cannot be everywhere and that is why He has created Mother,” Ms Patil said.
The Missionaries of Charity established by Mother Teresa in Kolkata initiated the Centenary Celebrations earlier in the day with a special prayer.
Cardinal Telesphore Placidus Toppo of Ranchi attended the early morning mass at the Chapel of Mother House as the main celebrant, while Archbishop of Kolkata Lucas Sirkar, Bishop of Baruipur Salvadore Lobo and Archbishop Emeritus Henry D’Souza were the concelebrants of the mass.
The US Government marked the Centenary with a commemorative US 44 cents Postal Stamp, featuring 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.
The US Postal Service said in a communiqué, “Noted for her compassion toward the poor and suffering, Mother Teresa, a diminutive Roman Catholic nun and honorary US citizen, served the sick and destitute of India and the world for nearly 50 years.”
The Times Square in New York had marquees and hoardings in white and blue, the landmark colours of the simple attire of the late Mother.
In Auckland, the Catholic Church offered a Holy Mass at St Mary’s Church in Avondale with Mother Teresa Sisters Congregation on August 28.
Mother Teresa was born in Albania on August 26, 1910. She was named Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu.
She dedicated her life to the cause of the poor and the needy. Migrating to India, she established the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata (then Calcutta) in 1950 and for more than 45 years, she served the poor, sick, orphaned and dying.
Starting from a four-room and one hall set up at 14, Creek Lane in the West Bengal Capital, the Missionaries of Charity continued to expand, and now comprises over 4500 sisters and is active in 133 countries.
It runs homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis. It also conducts children’s and family counselling programmes and runs orphanages and schools.
Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. The Government of India conferred the highest civilian honour of ‘Bharat Ratna’ (‘The Gem of India’) on her in January 1980.
The world was plunged into sorrow when she died on September 5, 1997.
