Honoring Blessed Mother Teresa

South African students from a local college joined Missionaries
of Charity in celebrating Mother Teresa's feast. Fr. Varghese
hosted an evening of prayer at his mission, and many of the
students learned to pray the Rosary for the first time.

Missionaries of Charity who live down the road in Kakinada, plus local college students from South Africa, joined Fr. Varghese and his faithful in honoring Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta in the days leading up to and including her feast day on September 5, 2014. The sisters teach catechism classes at Sacred Heart, often accompany Fr. Varghese on home visits, and join in whole-heartedly in mission feast celebrations and events. 

Learning to pray the Rosary.

Mother Teresa's birthday is August 26, although she called August 27th, the day she was baptized, her "true birthday." Her day of death was September 5, so for a week or so, prayer and activities at Sacred Heart Mission centered around this nun, who loved to serve Christ in His poor. 

South African students delight in singing songs from
home for Fr. Varghese and the Missionaries of Charity on the
Sacred Heart Mission porch.

"We had a good and small celebration, sisters were very happy," wrote Fr. Varghese, after hearing confessions and celebrating Mass at the Missionaries of Charity convent in Kakinada. "I spoke about the good works of Mother Theresa and her Charisms." 

Students far from their South African home and
unused to Indian food were thrilled to join the
Missionaries of Charity and Fr.Varghese in a meal
of chicken and fries.

A Friday night Scriptural Rosary and Eucharistic procession involved the whole parish.  Faithful wrote prayer intentions to present to the Lord, which were then burned -- symbolic of giving the intentions over to God, and of the prayers rising to heaven, just like smoke. At Sunday Mass, local teachers were presented flower garlands, and prayed for by Fr. Varghese and the congregation. 

Honoring Mother Teresa at Sacred
Heart Mission began with the traditional lighting
of an oil lamp, an "inauguration" ceremony that
symbolizes the light of Christ. 

On the actual feast, Fr. Varghese invited South African college students who study nearby, and who sometimes come to him for counseling. Many are homesick and struggle to adjust to the different culture and food of India, so Fr. Varghese invited them to join Missionaries of Charity in praying a Rosary. Afterwards came a little party, with the students getting lively singing songs from home. They were thrilled to enjoy a meal that gave them a break from the unfamiliar tastes of Indian food -- chicken, french fries and a bite of feast day cake. Friends from the U.S. sent the funds for this special night, that provided a real uplift to the students in a way that would have delighted Mother Teresa.

Honoring Missionaries of Charity with roses.

Praying before Our Lord in the Eucharist.

The whole mission joined in a Eucharistic procession 
on mission grounds.

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Pray For Us!