Mother Teresa: Works of Love Are Works of Peace

In collaboration with acclaimed photographer Michael Collopy and the Mother Teresa Institute in Washington, D.C., the St. John Paul II National Shrine is honored to host a temporary exhibit, entitled “Works of Love Are Works of Peace,” on the life and mission of St. Teresa of Calcutta, featuring more than 80 photographs by Collopy. Drawn from decades of Collopy’s personal access to Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity, the exhibition captures intimate moments of prayer, service, and daily life, revealing the humanity, joy, and spiritual depth of one of the most beloved saints of the modern era. Accompanied by Mother Teresa’s own words, reflections from Collopy, and artifacts on loan from the Mother Teresa Institute, the exhibition invites visitors to encounter the enduring witness of a woman whose life transformed countless lives through humble acts of love and mercy.

Relics of Mother Teresa will include her handkerchief, rosary, a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and original writings (including personal notes and letters to MC Brothers and Sisters). Additional artifacts include copies of Mother Teresa’s baptismal certificate, vow paper, original Constitutions, as well as duplicates of the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize, Nobel Peace Prize, and Honorary Doctorate from Harvard University. In addition to the photographs and artifacts, a series of panels, 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 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.

Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk, Director of the Mother Teresa Institute and Postulator for Mother Teresa’s Cause for Canonization, has invited 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.”

Mr. Stephen White, Executive Director of the St. John Paul II National Shrine, said, “We are privileged to offer our pilgrims an opportunity to learn about this ‘Mother of the poor,’ who, in the words of St. John Paul II, ‘leaves an eloquent example for everyone, believer and non-believer. She leaves us the witness of God’s love, which she accepted, and which transformed her life into a total gift to her brothers and sisters.’” 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,” and thus help to build a civilization of love — a mission integral to the Patron of this Shrine.

Exhibit Photos

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