The ‘Saint Of the Gutters’, Mother Teresa will be canonized as a Saint by Pope Francis in a holy ceremony on September 4, at the Vatican. The date of Mother Teresa’s canonization was announced on March 15 at a meeting of the Pope, Cardinals and Promoters of Sainthood Causes that formally end the process of sainthood.
The much awaited canonization of the Nobel Laureate will take place just a day before her 19th death anniversary. Mother Teresa spent a major part ofher life in India serving the poor and the sick including lepers on the streets of West Bengal, other parts of India including other parts of the world.
Mother Teresa came to India in 1929, and initially worked as a teacher at St. Mary’s School in Kolkata. On October 7, 1950, she founded Missionaries of Charity with 12 other nuns after getting necessary permission from the Vatican. She became an Indian citizen in 1951. Since then, she spent more than 45 years of her life serving the poor, the orphaned, the sick and the dying on the streets of Kolkata.
To mark Mother Teresa’s Sainthood ceremony, a postal cover, Rs. 5 coin and a statue will be dedicated to her. On September 2, The Indian Posts and Telegraph Department will release a special postal and numismatic cover made of pure silk . The Indian five rupee coin will be engraved onto the cover to mark the birth centenary of the late nun.
Mother Teresa will be declared a saint of the Roman Catholic Church and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003. The Nobel sister spent 45 years serving the poor and sick on the streets of Kolkata.
