TURA: Mother Teresa’s canonization as a saint by the Catholic Church in a special service at the Vatican this month was celebrated in Tura on Saturday with a public programme in which Tura Lok Sabha MP Conrad K Sangma unveiled a bust of the saint before a gathering of several thousand people at the SMELC auditorium.
“The Government of India has recognized the selfless service of Mother Teresa for the sick and the needy. We need to emulate her way of life and it would be most befitting if the government extended support for her works which are being continued by her missionaries,” said Tura MP Conrad Sangma.
He said that it was a priviledge to be part of the Indian delegation at the Vatican for the special Canonization service on September 4th.
The Tura MP recalled the special day when as a young boy he opened the door of their home in Delhi to find Mother Teresa at the door step sending him scurrying to inform the rest of the family.
“There was excitement all around. She greeted us and said she had come to pray for all of us,” recalled Conrad Sangma.
The Tura MP also took on Mother’s critics saying, “It is easy to criticise someone but difficult to emulate her service for humanity. It is very encouraging to find that the Missionaries of Charity are continuing with Mother Teresa’s work with the same missionary zeal and dedication despite the criticism,” said Conrad Sangma.
Sister Mamata of Mother Teresa’s order highlighted her principles of charity and humanity while deputy commissioner Pravin Bakshi recollected the statement of the priest of the famed Kalighat Temple who defined Mother Teresa as the “Personification of the Celestial Mother.”
As the head of the Catholic Chirch in Garo Hills, Bishop of Tura, Andrew R Marak called on everyone to follow in the footsteps of Mother Teresa by helping the poor, sick and the needy in the service of God.
