ASIA/INDIA - First church dedicated to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

New Delhi (Fides Service) - A new church in the village of Malvalayanvayal, Ramananthapuram district, in the southern India state of Tamil Nadu has been dedicated to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The church was consecrated on May 29 by the Bishop of Sivagangai Rt Rev. Edward Francis in the presence of at least 600 people Catholics, Hindus and Muslims. The local people are overjoyed: “this is a dream come true, a church in our village dedicated to a holy woman who did so much for the poor people of India”.
The church will serve a community of 4,000 Catholics and it was built with the generous help of the people. The villagers are poor but they collected money to buy the building materials and those able gave a hand with the work of construction. Money came also from people in different parts of the country. There had been plans to build a new church in the village for some time and when Mother Teresa was beatified and the parish priest decided that the church could be called after her, donations poured in from all over India. “It is a miracle”, the local people say. What appeared to be utopia for a rural community in southern India soon became reality: a demonstration that the figure of Mother Teresa left an indelible mark in the hearts of all Indians and not only Christians.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 3/6/2005 righe 24 parole 257)