Mother Teresa: Life, Spirituality, and Message

The John Paul II National Shrine is privileged to offer the exhibit, entitled “Mother Teresa: Life, Spirituality and Message,” which chronicles the contemporary Saint’s life from childhood to canonization. More than 60 panels, accompanied by photos and copies of documents from the Missionaries of Charity archives, tell her story and highlight her spirituality and message of radical love for God and neighbor. The exhibit, which opens August 19, will also include a first-class relic of Mother Teresa that will be available for veneration alongside the Shrine’s permanent St. John Paul II blood relic.

By highlighting the profound Christian discipleship of St. Teresa of Calcutta, the Shrine hopes to spread the light of God’s love to others, especially as she served “Jesus under the distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor.” In her response to Christ’s cry, “I thirst” in his longing for souls, and born of her constant contemplation of the love of Jesus on the Cross, she allowed His grace to transform her life into a total gift for others, bearing fruits of peace and joy, thereby showing us the meaning to our life and our path to authentic happiness.

May her life, which was a radical living and a bold proclamation of the Gospel in the spirit of the New Evangelization, inspire our pilgrims to build a civilization of love — a mission integral to the Patron of this Shrine.

About the Exhibit

The exhibit features panels about St. Teresa of Calcutta which have been designed by the MC Sisters and Fathers. These panels outline the story of this great Saint, including her family upbringing, the tragic death of her father, entry into religious life as a Sister of Loreto, the beginnings of the Missionaries of Charity, her 50-year ‘Dark Night of the Soul,’ the Community’s global outreach, and the founding of the MC Fathers.

Relics from the exhibit include:

Mother Teresa’s Sari & handkerchief
Habit
Rosary
A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Original writings (including personal notes and letters to MC Brothers and Sisters).

Other artifacts include duplicates of:

Mother Teresa’s Baptismal Certificate
Vow paper
Original Constitutions and explanation
Pope John XXIII Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
Honorary Doctorate from Harvard University
Roman Citizenship Papers

The Shrine & the Mother Teresa Center

Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk, MC, Director of the Mother Teresa Institute and Postulator for Mother Teresa’s Cause for Canonization, extended an invitation to the Shrine to host the exhibit. Fr. Kolodiejchuk, who knew of the deep friendship between these saints, viewed the Shrine as a fitting location to highlight the mission of this Saint. He said, “These two great saints were both ardent missionaries with extraordinary love and compassion for others. They both brought the good news of the ‘surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus’ to all nations. Through the witness of their lives, we are urged to be tireless missionary disciples, to spread the light of God’s love to others, especially the poorest and the neediest.”

Exhibit Photos

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