People in Kolkata, eastern India are celebrating the birthday of Blessed Mother Teresa days before she is scheduled to be canonized Sept. 4.
The day Aug. 26 started with Mass attended by the over 300 co-workers, volunteers, laypeople and nuns of the Missionaries of Charity, the congregation Mother Teresa founded in Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, to serve the poorest of the poor.
Archbishop Thomas D'Souza of Calcutta, said Mother Teresa's life was one of sacrifice and love, empowered and strengthened by her faith.
The city is also hosting the fourth Mother Teresa International Festival, showcasing 23 films from 15 countries exclusively on Mother Teresa.
"The objective of this festival is to spread Mother Teresa's message to the world, raise awareness and sensitize people about her work and good deeds," Sunil Lucas, SIGNIS India president, told ucanews.com.
A statue of Mother Teresa is also scheduled be unveiled at Bishop's House in Kolkata by West Bengal state chief minister Mamata Banerjee later in the evening.
Mother Teresa was born in Skopje, now the capital of Macedonia. She died of cardiac arrest at the congregation's motherhouse in Kolkata on Sept. 5, 1997, aged 87. Her canonization process began two years afterward.