Friday Five: (almost) Saint Teresa of Kolkata

The cause for sainthood of Mother Teresa of Kolkata (Calcutta) reaches its pinnacle on Sunday, September 4, 2016. Canonization is the final step in a complicated process to name someone a Saint of the catholic church. Fr. James Martin tweeted earlier this week, "God makes saints. The church only recognizes them." 

1. It takes a lot to be declared a Saint.
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There is a multi-step, multi-year process to become a saint. Mother Teresa passed away 19 years ago, and her cause was fast-tracked by Saint Pope John Paul II when he dispensed her case from the required five-year waiting period. Instead, her cause was opened almost immediately. Learn what is involved to be named a saint in this short 6-minute video. 

2. Two miracles have been attributed to her intercession. 

As with all sainthood causes, two miracles must occur and be verified as miracles before the person can be named a saint. The two official miracles both included healings of the body, the first of which took place on the first anniversary of her death. The second occurred in 2008, but wasn't reported until 2013 because the doctor that witnessed it wasn't catholic, but was later inspired by Pope Francis' visit to Brazil. 

Read more about the miracles here, but the Mother Teresa Cinnamon Roll was not one of them. 

3. Mother Teresa spoke often, including in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
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She made a visit in 1974 that included stops at the College of Mount Saint Joseph and the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains. 

She was a highly sought-after speaker, and gave many commencement speeches throughout the United States.  Watch her 1982 commencement speech at the Thomas Aquinas University commencement. The text can be found here. 

4. Mother Teresa had doubts about her faith

During the investigations into her cause, many of her journals and letters were discovered and published. Many people, including those who knew her best, were surprised to learn of persistent doubts and "darkness" that kept Mother Teresa from feeling close to God. 

"If I ever become a saint," she wrote," I will surely be one of darkness."

Read more about her writings in this interview with the chief investigator in her case, Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk. 

5. Mother Teresa may not have said it...

An entire website has been dedicated to debunking mis-attributed Mother Teresa quotes. One of the most common quotes attributed to her that she did not write are the so-called Paradoxical Commandments (...love them anyway), which was written by a Harvard graduate and hung on the wall of her children's home in Calcutta. 

Tune in to the Canonization Mass of Saint Mother Teresa of Kolkata on September 4 using the SaltandLightTV Live Stream. The full schedule of coverage and events can be found here.