Since 1983, the Philippines-based charity Ay Foundation has awarded the St. Teresa of Calcutta award. The annual award honors individuals who conduct selfless service reflective of the life and works of its namesake, Mother Teresa.
This year’s award is celebrating Sr. Minerva Caampued of the Franciscan Apostolic Sisters who has worked with Indigenous Filipino communities for nearly 30 years.
Sr. Caampued has spent the better part of the last three decades dedicating herself in service to the Agta people, an Indigenous community in Santa Anna, a small town on the Northeastern-most tip of Luzon island.
There, she has worked to preserve the heritage of the Agta, as well as empowering them through education. In addition she has introduced several additional initiatives regarding environmental protection, healthcare, and feeding the hungry in pursuit of her mission to address the marginalization of Indigenous people.
According to Vatican News, Sr. Caampued’s service to the Agta was celebrated in an October 4 ceremony, which fittingly came during the observation of Indigenous People’s Month in the Philippines. Her life’s work of selfless service was hailed as “a shining example of compassion, inspiring hope, and transformation.”
The award led Sr. Caampued to make some touchingly humble comments to LiCAS News, in which she expressed her gratitude for the recognition, but she noted that her work is less about success and more about faith:
“I am not called to be successful, but to be faithful,” she said. “I dedicate it to the Agta communities, who continue to face the challenges of defending their ancestral domain, asserting their rights, and preserving their rich cultural heritage amidst marginalization,” she said.
The sister went on to call the resilience of the Agta “a constant source of inspiration,” and remarked that the award stands as “tribute to their unwavering spirit.” She then reaffirmed her commitment to live in service to Indigenous communities and continue her community’s mission to serve those in need.
Known as the Mother Teresa Award from 1983 until 2003, the name was changed to the Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Award after she was beatified. The name changed again to the St. Teresa of Calcutta Award when Pope Francis canonized St. Teresa of Calcutta in 2016.
Learn more about the award and past recipients at the Ay Foundation.
