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Tuesday 19 March |
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It’s Official: Mother Teresa to be Declared a Saint

Deacon Greg Kandra - published on 12/18/15

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From Vatican Radio:

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta is to be made a Saint. Pope Francis on Thursday authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate a decree regarding a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Teresa (nee Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu). Blessed Teresa, known around the world as Mother Teresa was born August 26, 1910 and died September 5, 1997. She was foundress of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity and the Missionaries of Charity. Other decrees authorized by the Holy Father concerned the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Giuseppe Ambrosoli, professed priest of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus; born July 25th, 1923 and died March 27, 1987; The heroic virtues of Servant of God Adolfo (nee Lanzuela Leonardo Martínez), professed religious of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools; He was born on November 8, 1894 and died March 14, 1976; The heroic virtues of Servant of God Henry Hahn, Laico; born August 29, 1800 and died on March 11, 1882. The Pope’s approval for these decrees came during a private audience with Cardinal Angelo Amato SDB, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Reaction:

It is a real Christmas gift that the Holy Father has given, especially the Church in Kolkata,” said Archbishop Thomas D’Souza, the Archbishop of Calcutta [Kolkata]. We were waiting for this moment, since many years really, and now that it has come we are very happy, overjoyed,” he told Vatican Radio. Archbishop D’Souza said it is significant the announcement has been made during the Jubilee of Mercy. “Her entire life was spent doing works of mercy,” he said. “Her entire life was spent in service to the poor…she was reflecting God’s love here among the poorest of the poor, and so it comes as a very significant event in this Year of Mercy that the Holy Father has given to the Church.”

Background, via BBC: 

The miracle involved the healing of a Brazilian man with several brain tumours in 2008, the Vatican said. Mother Teresa died in 1997 and was beatified – the first step towards sainthood – in 2003. She won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the poor in the slums of the Indian city of Kolkata (Calcutta). She is expected to be canonised in Rome in September. Sister Christie, a spokesperson for the Missionaries of Charity Mother Teresa founded in 1950, told the BBC that they were delighted by the news. “Obviously all of us at the Missionaries of Charity are extremely happy. But we do not have any plans to celebrate this announcement as yet,” she said. There are few details about the recovery of the Brazilian man, whose life the Vatican says was saved in the second miracle. His identity has not been disclosed to maintain the discretion needed for the investigation, the Catholic New Agency has said. It says he was unexpectedly cured from brain tumours in 2008 after his priest prayed for Mother Teresa’s intervention with God.

Photo: Creative Commons

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