West Bengal: Missionaries of Charity celebrate 113th birth anniversary of Mother Teresa

KOLKATA: The Missionaries of Charity based in Kolkata celebrated the 113th birth anniversary of their founder Mother Teresa (now known as St Teresa of Kolkata) on Saturday.

Missionaries of Charity is a religious community in the Catholic Church, founded by Mother Teresa of Kolkata (now St. Teresa of Kolkata) in 1950. The community is dedicated to the service of the poorest of the poor, irrespective of social class, creed or colour. It is known for its contribution to the well-being of some of the marginalised members of society including orphans, abandoned children elderly people, people with mental or physical disabilities.

On Saturday the members of the Missionaries of Charity lighted candles and chanted prayers on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the Mother.

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha on August 26, 1910. Her family was from Albania. In October 1950, Mother Teresa received permission from the Vatican to start “The Missionaries of Charity”, whose primary task was to love and care for those who had been abandoned by others. The order started its operations in Kolkata.

The Society of Missionaries of Charity then spread all over the world. They provide help to the poorest of the poor in a number of countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and they undertake relief work in the wake of natural catastrophes such as floods and epidemics, and work for refugees.

Mother Teresa was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She asked the jury to contribute the prize money towards helping the poor in India. In September 2017, Mother Teresa was declared Patron Saint of the Archdiocese of Kolkata (then Calcutta) by the Pope for her selfless service towards helping the underprivileged. Mother Teresa, who died in 1997 was accorded a state funeral by the government in recognition of her services to the poor.