By Concepta Fernandes Alva

Mangaluru, Sep 3: The entire world eagerly awaits the canonization of Mother Teresa as a Saint on September 4 in Vatican, by Pope Francis. On the occasion, the words of the veteran communist leader Jyothi Basu, come to mind - “What is the necessity to declare Mother Teresa a saint now? She was a saint during her life time itself.” The former chief minister of West Bengal had witnessed the life and service of Mother Teresa from close quarters and could not be more right.

Mother Teresa has been long gone for 19 years. Yet her love for God and humanity and her service to the mankind live in the minds of people. I was blessed with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet her and crave her blessings. This incident is fresh in my mind till this day and it gives me goose bumps each time I reminisce it.

It was 1995, the month, August. Mother was in Mangaluru for about 6 days. She had arrived here to inaugurate the Missionaries of Charity House in the city. She was also scheduled to attend many other programmes. During one of those days, luck favoured me and I met Mother.

The pioneer institution in women’s education in coastal Karnataka, St Agnes College was celebrating their platinum jubilee year. A symposium was organized on various women-related topics. I was invited to deliver a talk on ‘The influence of radio in the betterment of women.’ I reached St Agnes convent to handover a copy of my lecture in advance to one of the organizers, Sr Regia. It was around 12:15 in the noon, I recall. It was brought to my notice that Mother Teresa, was in the college auditorium addressing the students there. Suddenly I had a rush of desire to meet Mother.

I asked Sr Regia, whom I knew well for quite some time if the public was allowed to meet the Mother. 'I have heard of and read about her so much that I would like to meet her and crave her blessings’ I requested . On this Sr. Regia smiled. She said, ‘Don’t you worry about the public audience. You don’t need to wait for long to see the Mother. Our Sisters will be bringing her to the convent for lunch in a short while now. On her way from the auditorium she will come to the chapel. Come with me’. With this she entered the chapel. I could not believe my ears. I was completely excited and thrilled at the prospect of meeting Mother. I followed Sr Regia to the chapel and knelt down at the place she suggested I kneel. Within a few minutes Mother entered the chapel with two other sisters. I approached her and craved her blessings. She kept her hands on my head and whispered ‘May God bless you my child’. Then she took out a medal of mother Mary from the small blue cloth pouch in her hand and gave it to me. My son, of two years of age then, had adorned that medal around his neck for many years. I am certain that my daughter who was in my womb at the time received blessings from Mother too.

From the moment of my first meeting with the living saint, I felt my association with her grow stronger and it continues to be. I was disheartened on her demise on 5 September, 1997. On 19 October, 2003, the Holy Father beatified Mother Teresa. The diocese of Mangalore had celebrated this event with a splendid function in Mangaluru under the leadership of Fr John Fernandes, the then chairman of the ‘chair in Christianity’ under Mangalore University. There was a great line up of events presented by various groups, without the barrier of religion, caste, creed or language. It was my privilege to compere that programme. I would consider this as the continued blessings from Mother.

Though I have compered several high profile stage programmes prior to that and afterwards in Mangaluru and elsewhere, Mothers’ beatification commemoration programme remains the most special and rewarding function till date.

In October 2010, my husband, children and I travelled to the North Eastern states of the country for a vacation. We stayed in Kolkata for 3 days. We paid a visit to Mother Teresa’s house there. We entered through the door on which was written, 54 A MOTHER TERESA, MC IN and prayed in front of the place where she lay interred and a monument where Mother attends to a child. This visit to the house of Mother Teresa where she lived and where she has been laid to rest is also a memorable one. We are planning yet another visit to Kolkata and to Mother Teresa’s house. God willing, it will happen within 4 weeks after her canonization.

Glory and praises be to Mother Teresa who served the children of God and who dedicated her life to the love of God.

(Concepta Fernandes Alva is a senior programme officer at All India Radio, Mangaluru)