![DC Jammu Simrandeep Singh, VC JDA Mubarak Singh and others enjoying cultural prog at Mother Teresa Bhavan at Janipur in Jammu on Saturday. — Excelsior/Rakesh DC Jammu Simrandeep Singh, VC JDA Mubarak Singh and others enjoying cultural prog at Mother Teresa Bhavan at Janipur in Jammu on Saturday. — Excelsior/Rakesh](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/page10-45.jpg)
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 10: Mission-aries of Charity rejoiced Mother Teresa’s elevation to ‘Sainth-ood’ in a solemn ceremony organised at Shanti Bhavan (Popularily known as Mother Teresa Bhavan), the home for the destitute at Janipur here today.
The sisters of the Missionaries of Charity along with the representatives of Church and other civil society members paid homage to Mother Teresa in befitting manner. DC Jammu Simrandeep Singh was the chief guest while Vice Chairman JDA Mubarak Singh as guest of honour. Father S Joseph was the Master of ceremonies while Father Reagan accorded warm welcome to the guests and other invitees.
The event commenced with the thanks giving prayer and floral tributes to the great and noble soul. Students of St Peters School, Jammu presented a special programme on Mother Teresa’s works and life.
While speaking on the occasion, DC Jammu recalled the innumerable charitable works of Bharat Ratna Mother Teresa, who was indeed a Messiah of the poor. He also lauded the work undertaken by the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity in the State and referred to Shanti Bhavan as a blessing to the J&K state.
Mubarak Singh (VC JDA) expressed happiness on the canonization of Messiha of the poor and appreciated the commitment of the Mother’s Missionaries of Charity which cares for the sick and the abandoned with utmost care and dedication.
It is pertinent to mention here that Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata in 1950 within objective of caring for the sick, the orphans, the dying and the destitutes. She opened her first house at Kalighat in Kolkatta and named it Nirmal Hirday (Pure Heart). From there, her work spread to different corners of the world spanning across 123 countries. She opened the first such house in J&K in 1982 with an intiatin intake of seven inmates from the streets which has now swelled up to 108.
Father Jose Vadakkel, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Jammu-Srinagar highlighted the context of establishing Shanti Bhavan in Jammu and recalled how Mother Teresa travelled to Jammu in 1980 at the invitation of the then Chief Minister Sheikh Abdullah and personally chose this location in Janipur. He extended gratitude to the civil society and successive Governments.