“Mother Teresa’s legacy is defined by her founding of the Missionaries of Charity, a religious order dedicated to serving the poor, sick, and dying worldwide”
A SCORE and seven years back tomorrow, the Catholic Church lost an 87-year-old Mother Teresa who, with her 4’11” stature, was relatively “small” but her influence was seen by many as “monumental.”
The nun, born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, of Albanian descent, was born in Uskup, Ottoman Empire (now Skopje, North Macedonia, on Aug 26, 1910.
When the United Nations celebrated its 40th anniversary, UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar introduced and described their guest on Oct 26, 1985 the “most powerful woman in the world.”
The Lilliputian religious sister, draped in her iconic attire of white cotton sari with three blue stripes on its border, a white headscarf, and a crucifix, felt uncomfortable with that forceful presentation, preferring to describe herself instead as a “pencil stub in God’s hands.”
The attire symbolized her commitment to purity and poverty while serving the poorest of the poor, the marginalized, and the dying. She adopted the blue-striped sari after leaving the traditional Sisters of Loretto habit which theologians say became a globally recognized symbol of her charity and compassion.
She was known for her profound compassion, selfless dedication to the poor and sick, and her tireless work founding the Missionaries of Charity, with legacy that of a humanitarian, a servant of the poor, and a Catholic saint who left an indelible mark on the world.
Often described in Catholic circles as “the living saint,” Mother Teresa of Calcutta was canonized on Sept 4, 2016 at the St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City by Pope Francis.
Like other journalists who covered the beatification of Lorenzo Ruiz on Feb 18, 1981 at the sprawling Rizal Park by Pope John Paul II – the first such ceremony ever held outside the Vatican – we had a glimpse of the woman who was dedicating her life to religious observance.
She sat in the front row of honored guests, at the foot of the stage fronting the Quirino Grandstand, but she was seen walking around distributing prayer beads to the faithful and some kibitzers prior to the mid-afternoon rites that day a couple of hours before sunset at 6.01.
Lorenzo Ruiz was later canonized by the same Pope on Oct. 18, 1987, at the Vatican City, making him the first Filipino saint.
Before his canonization, Ruiz was a professional calligrapher and member of the Confraternty of the Holy Rosary in Manila , known for his beautiful penmanship as an “escribano.”
A married man with children who, in 1636, fled the Philippines after being falsely accused of murder, seeking passage on a ship with Dominican missionaries bound for Japan.
Religionists say his life as a husband, father, and church-affiliated clerk was what defined him before he became a martyr for his faith in Japan.
The Indian government granted Mother Teresa a state funeral after her death, affording her full military honors as a testament to her extraordinary importance to the country.
The state funeral, a high honor typically reserved for heads of state and government, symbolized India’s deep respect for the “Saint of the Gutters” and the immense outpouring of grief across the nation upon her passing.
She was buried at the Mother House in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India, which is the headquarters for the Missionaries of Charity she founded.
Her remains were interred in a courtyard within the Mother House, where her tomb has become a site of pilgrimage and prayer for people of all faiths.
Her position was seen as a notable one, as she was a Nobel Peace Prize winner and her Missionaries of Charity order ran a mission for the poor in Tondo, a slum Pope John Paul II had visited.
Mother Teresa visited the Philippines at least six times between 1976 and 1995, during which visits she established several centers for her Missionaries of Charity order, starting with the Alay ng Puso in Binondo, Manila, in 1977, and later inaugurating the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Tondo, Manila, the following year.
She also visited Cebu multiple times between 1979 and 1987, to bless and inaugurate more homes for the poor and aged.
Mother Teresa’s legacy, according to the Vatican News, is defined by her founding of the Missionaries of Charity, a religious order dedicated to serving the poor, sick, and dying worldwide.
“Her work established homes for orphans, hospices for the terminally ill, soup kitchens, and clinics, providing care and dignity to marginalized communities,” it said.
Though a global icon of compassion and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, her legacy is also debated, with some criticism regarding the quality of care in her facilities.
