The day after the canonisation, priests in the diocese celebrated Mass along with the Missionaries of Charity. Children, the sick and the poor living in facilities run by the nuns attended the service. At the end of the Mass, lunch was offered by the religious community. The work of the Missionaries in the province began in 2002 with for of AIDS/HIV patients.
Udon Thani (AsiaNews) – Catholics in the Diocese of Udon Thani (northeastern Thailand) celebrated together with the Missionaries of Charity Mother Teresa's canonisation on 4 September in Rome.
The following day, at 10 am, Fr Paul Somnuk Suthi, vicar general of the diocese, celebrated Mass along with Fr Pham Dinh Tuan, rector of St Michael the Archangel Church.
Dozens of young people from the children's home run by nuns in the parish welcomed the elderly, the sick and poor of Nong Bua Lamphu province (west of Udon Thani) who wanted to attend mass.
The celebration was followed by a community lunch during which Fr Somnuk and the Missionaries of Charity handed out food and basic necessities to all those who attended the event.
The link between the Sisters of Mother Teresa and the Catholics in Nong Bua Lamphu province is close. The nuns came for the first time in 2002, when they opened their first home in Thailand. Bishop George Yod Phimphisan had invited them to collaborate in the care of HIV / AIDS patients.
In June 2004, four Indian religious (Elinita, Phiberta, Arlete and Soul) began the construction of the Home for the sick in Nong Bua Lamphu. Now they also run a home for children.
Fr Paul Chetha Chaiyadej, priest of the archdiocese of Bangkok, spoke to AsiaNews about his meeting with the devotion to Mother Teresa.
"Years ago I had the opportunity to visit Kanakapura, India, for a course on basic ecclesial communities. I noticed that the portrait of Mother Teresa was hanging together with those of the Pope and the bishops. I asked the rector of the reason for this, and he replied: 'Mother Teresa was loved by everyone, not only by Catholics but also by people of different faiths."
"Mother Teresa,” Fr Paul said, “impressed me very much during her lifetime. She is the living testimony of God's love for humanity. She showed concern and care for the suffering and the poor, which earned her the name of 'Mother of the Poor'. I am sure that many people, including myself, are trying to follow in her footsteps."