Much before the formal canonization, the mother was already a saint to the people of India: Vice President

He was addressing the event to celebrate the canonization of Mother Teresa in Kolkata.

Governor of West Bengal Keshari Nath Tripathiji, Minister of Disaster Management, Government of West Bengal, Javed Khan, the Apostlic Nuncio to India, Most Rev. Salvatore Pennacchio and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The Vice President said that Saint Teresa was an embodiment of compassion.

He further said that she addressed the complex questions about the meaning of life by reducing it to the simple practice of alleviating the pain of others.

Saint Teresa believed that giving something of our self is what confers real joy and the person who is allowed to give is the one who receives the most precious gift, he added.

The Vice President said that the Missionaries of Charity continues with its mission of caring for the poor, the sick and the uncared, rendering its service to humanity, reaching out to the needy, regardless of their religion or social status.

He pointed out that this is indeed, a most fitting tribute to Saint Teresa and her compassionate legacy.

He further said that our grateful nation honoured her with the Bharat Ratna, and world recognized her work with the Nobel Prize for peace. Yet she saw herself as one among the needy, one among the poor, dying and destitute, he added.

The Vice President said that her mission and message have touched not only the poorest of the poor here, but those well beyond India.

He further said that it inspires us, as that of Mahatma Gandhi, another great Indian whose birth anniversary we celebrate today.

May her blessed life inspire all of us to dedicate ourselves to the service of humanity, he added.