Catholics plan a rally outside New York’s Empire State Building on Aug. 26, Blessed Teresa of Kolkata’s 100th birthday, to protest its owner’s refusal to honor her with a display of colored lights.

Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, asked the owner, Anthony Malkin, to change the colors of the 180 lights outside the building to blue and white on that day to honor the occasion.

These are the colors on the cotton saris worn by nuns from Blessed Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity congregation.

The Empire State Building is often lit up in special colors on various occasions: Christmas, Easter and St Patrick’s Day are among them. But according to Donohue, the lights have also been changed in tribute to American pop singer Mariah Carey, the Simpsons, the Ninja Turtles and the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

In an open letter on the issue, Donohue says he was “stunned when I learned my request to honor Mother Teresa was denied.” He pointed out that, by contrast, the US Postal Service is issuing a commemorative stamp.

He claims support from the Knights of Columbus and has contacted the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.

At least 6,000 people have signed a protest petition, Donohue told Fox News. And Christine Quinn, New York City Council Speaker, told the New York Post the refusal to light up was “a question that deserves answering.”

But not everyone is in favor. One response on the open letter website said: “Isn’t this a little odd … didn’t Mother Teresa say that if she were to become a saint she would be a saint of darkness?”

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