Kolkata: A life-size bronze statue of Mother Teresa would be installed at the residence of the Calcutta archbishop on Aug 25, the eve of Mother Teresa’s 106th birth anniversary.

This was announced by Archbishop Thomas D’Souza of Calcutta at a press meet at the Archbishop’s House in Kolkata on August 19. The Teresa statue will be installed next to a statue of Saint John Paul II. The statue has been donated by Namit Bajoria, who is the Designate Honorary Consul of the Republic of Macedonia in Kolkata. Bajoria is also engaged in various philanthropic activities.

A film festival screening the biggest repertoire of films and documentaries on Mother Teresa, a Thanksgiving Eucharist and a homage by the Mamata Banerjee government are among a series of events planned in the city to celebrate her historic canonisation. The four-day Mother Teresa International Film Festival (MTIFF), beginning August 26, will feature 23 foreign and Indian films made on or inspired by the Nobel laureate and includes three world premieres and an India premiere.

To be held at the state government-run auditorium Nandan, the fest opener is an American documentary “Mother Teresa”. Besides seven Indian films, entries from USA, France, UK, Spain, Italy, Canada and Japan will be screened.

Mother Teresa was born on August 16, 1910, in Skopje the capital city of the Republic of Macedonia. The Macedonian government announced earlier this month that the Balkan nation will mark the Mother Teresa canonization with several events and manifestations.

About Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa born on 26 August 1910also known as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta was an Albanian Roman Catholic nun and missionary. She was born in Skopje (modern Republic of Macedonia), then part of the Kosovo Vilayet in the Ottoman Empire. After having lived in Macedonia for eighteen years, she moved to Ireland and then to India, where she lived for most of her life.

Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation, which in 2012 consisted of over 4,500 sisters and was active in 133 countries. They run hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis; soup kitchens; dispensaries and mobile clinics; children’s and family counselling programmes; orphanages; and schools. Members must adhere to the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, as well as a fourth vow, to give “wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor”.

Mother Teresa was the recipient of numerous honours, including the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. On 19 October 2003, she was beatified as “Blessed Teresa of Calcutta”. A second miracle was credited to her intercession by Pope Francis, in December 2015, paving the way for her to be recognised as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. Her canonisation is scheduled for 4 September 2016.

A controversial figure both during her life and after her death, Mother Teresa was widely admired by many for her charitable works. She was both praised and criticised for her anti-abortion views. Her authorised biography was written by Indian civil servant Navin Chawla and published in 1992.