Thousands of people in the State, cutting across religious lines, ‘joined hands’ on Sunday in reverence to Mother Teresa, who was declared a saint by Pope Francis at a special ceremony in the Vatican.
Special prayers were organised in churches at the same time as the ceremony at the Vatican unfolded.
A public meeting was held and a souvenir was released at the Mother Teresa Church, here.
ADVERTISEMENT
At Kochuthura, near here, where Mother Teresa personally established a convent, Latin Archbishop Soosa Pakiam led a special mass. He read out the same proclamation as was read by the pope declaring the Mother to be a saint.
At the St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Palayam, close to 4,000 faithful took out a procession chanting prayers and sporting the picture of Mother Teresa. Archbishop Pakiam would lead a special mass at the Cathedral on Monday. An inter-faith conference would also be held there after the special mass. In commemoration of the visit of Mother Teresa to the St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School, here, in 1974, her statue would be installed at the school on Monday by Archbishop Pakiam.
The celebrations in Kochi included holy mass exhibitions of photographs on the life and mission of Mother Teresa and singing of thanks-giving hymns. The celebrations in the city were held in tandem with the canonisation ceremony in the Vatican that started around 2.30 p. m. Hundreds of devotees took part in the special prayers organised at the Kurishumala pilgrim centre. At the St. Joseph’s church in Pushpagiri, Kottyam, a gathering of the faithful released 1,001 balloons bearing the image of the Mother. Archbishop Joseph Powathil led the special prayers there.
ADVERTISEMENT
At the St. Joseph’s church at Thellakom, the relics of Mother Teresa — including strands of her hair, a sponge used by her for wiping her face and her dress — were opened up to those who came to attend the special mass.