Indian Church hails St Teresa of Kolkata Church calendar move

Feb 19, 2025

By Michael Gonsalves
Church leaders in India have welcomed the Vatican's decision to add the feast of St. Teresa of Kolkata to the universal liturgical calendar, saying it will help Catholics across the globe emulate the nun's sense of service to the poor.

"This is a great recognition and appreciation of her work for the poorest of the poor and the abandoned men, women and children," Archbishop Thomas D'Souza of Calcutta told UCA News on February 19.

The archbishop was responding to the Feb. 11 Vatican decree that said Pope Francis had added the saintly nun to the liturgical calendar, making the feast day Sept. 5, the day of her death in 1997.

The Vatican decision "would also provide a tremendous boost to the work of her congregation — the Missionaries of Charity — in all corners of the world," D'Souza said.

The Vatican decree said the decision follows requests from "bishops, religious and associations of the faithful" and also considers "the influence of the spirituality of Saint Teresa of Calcutta throughout the world."

The decree issued by Cardinal Aurther Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, identified the feast day as an optional memory, meaning the Church encourages the celebration of a saint, but it is not mandatory.

Until now, her feast day was only inscribed in the proper calendar of the Missionaries of Charity and in the calendar of the Indian Catholic Church.

The saint, popularly known as Mother Teresa, lived in Kolkata city (previously known as Calcutta)  in eastern India, and worked for the "poorest of the poor" irrespective of their caste, faith, and religion.

Pope Francis canonized her in 2016, and her memory "continues to shine out as a source of hope for many men and women who seek consolation amidst tribulations of body and spirit," said the decree.

Sister M. Joseph, superior-general of the Missionaries of Charity, told UCA News on Feb.18, "It is a matter of great joy" that the name of "our holy founder" is now inscribed in the liturgical calendar of the universal Church.

"In a world that constantly pursues technological progress, we must never forget that the true progress of man is to dedicate oneself to others every day with all one's heart," she said.

Sunil Lucas, former president of Signis India, a Catholic association for communication, said Catholics in Kolkata used to observe Sept. 5 with prayers and devotion, but now it is official worldwide."

Fr Dominic Gomes, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Calcutta, said the Vatican's decision affirms that her "work with the poor, sick, and dying resonates with people across cultures, faiths, and geographies."

"Recognizing her feast day across the globe reinforces her values of compassion, humility, and service, especially in a world still battling poverty and suffering," Gomes said.

Jesuit Father Cedric Prakash, a human rights and peace activist, said Mother Teresa "transcended the narrow confines of nationality, religion, ethnicity" in her work.

Mother Teresa was born in Skopje on Aug. 26, 1910 as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu. She professed solemn vows as a sister of Loreto in Calcutta, India, in 1937.

She left Loreto and in 1950 found the Missionaries of Charity, which now has over 6,000 sisters active in 130 countries serving those most in need.--ucanews.com