ONE hundred years after her birth Blessed Teresa of Calcutta was honoured by Masses throughout the world on August 26.
Archbishop John Bathersby of Brisbane celebrated a Mass in St Patrick’s Church, Fortitude Valley, to mark the 100th anniversary of Mother Teresa’s birth.
The Brisbane superior of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity Sr Oliva Lee said it was “a special occasion” and “a great celebration of faith”.
“Even though she’s (Mother Teresa) not with us, she is with us in spirit,” Sr Lee said.
She said “all different people came … poor people and rich people”. “They all have a love of Mother (Teresa),” she said.
“(And) the archbishop spoke very beautifully about our mother’s spirit about how she went through a dark night of the soul and never lost her faith.
“It was a very challenging life to work among the poorest of the poor but she never lost her faith in God.”
Archbishop Bathersby encouraged the Missionaries of Charity present.
“He was telling us that he is proud of our presence in the city,” Sr Lee said. “He said we are a witness of Christ.”
Six Missionaries of Charity attended the Mass, five of whom minister in Brisbane while the sixth is based in Darwin.
Sr Lee said that, of the six sisters, two were from Korea, two from India, one is Papua New Guinean and the other is Australian.
“This shows that beyond our culture or language or background we are one,” she said. “(And) we come in faith to celebrate these special occasions.”
Following the August 26 Mass a number of people stayed to enjoy a variety of “different dishes people had brought”.
Continuing Mother Teresa’s outreach to the poor, the Brisbane sisters gave hot soup for about 80 homeless people yesterday (September 4) in Fortitude Valley and hope to re-establish the soup kitchen once construction around them progresses.
