ROME, APRIL 11, 2003 (Zenit.org).- The date on which John Paul II beatifies Mother Teresa of Calcutta will coincide with three key celebrations.
The three are World Missions Day, the 25th anniversary of the Holy Father’s pontificate, and the closing of the Year of the Rosary.
According to the organizers of the events related to the Oct. 19 beatification, the invitation that Jesus made to Mother Teresa in 1946 «will resound again to each one of us: ‘Come, be my light’ in the darkness of human poverty, in a world darkened by sin and misery.»
A Day of Prayer will take place in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome on Oct. 17. The basilica will remain open for confessions and eucharistic adoration.
«In the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, we shall pray for and with those who, as Mother Teresa said, ‘make Jesus present and alive in the Eucharist’: our priests,» the organizers explain in a statement.
That evening, from 7:30 to 9, together with the priests, the Missionaries of Charity will end the day with a solemn adoration. All the faithful are invited to thank God for the gift of the priesthood, to pray for the holiness of priests, and to ask the Lord for new and fervent vocations.
At 9 a.m. on Oct. 19, the rosary will be prayed in St. Peter’s Square. The ceremony of the beatification of Mother Teresa will take place at 10 a.m. A viewing of the film «Mother Teresa: The Legacy,» by Ann and Jeannette Petrie, is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
On Monday, Oct. 20, Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Sainthood Causes, will celebrate a Thanksgiving Mass in St. Peter’s Square. It will be followed by the pilgrims’ audience with the Pope.
Mother Teresa’s relics will remain exposed for veneration by the faithful in the Basilica of St. John Lateran Basilica from Oct. 20-22.
Entrance for all the ceremonies is free, although participants will have to show a ticket to attend the beatification Mass.
Tickets may be requested at www.motherteresacause.info or directly from the houses of the Missionaries of Charity.
