[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 121 (Friday, September 5, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1708]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING MOTHER TERESA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 4, 2003

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mother 
Teresa, a woman who has touched the lives of millions directly and 
indirectly. On October 19th 2003, Mother Teresa will be beatified in 
Rome by Pope John Paul II.
  Born August 26, 1910 in The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as 
Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, she would not wait long to change the world. She 
soon found her calling at the age of 18 when she had her first calling 
in the Catholic church and joined the Sisters of Loretto. This Irish 
order of Catholic Nuns was responsible for Mother Teresa's traveling to 
India, where she taught and also served as principal at St. Mary's High 
School.
  Mother Teresa's second calling came from the sick and the dying 
people in the streets of India. In 1948, she was granted permission by 
the Vatican to leave the Sisters of Loretto and start her own ministry 
in order to reach out to the poor, the suffering, and the dying. In 
1952, Mother Teresa opened the Nirmal Hriday, Pure Heart, Home for 
Dying Destitutes in Calcutta. The Missionaries of Charity which 
continues to fulfill Mother Teresa's mission now has more than 400 of 
these homes worldwide. Her order of missionaries has grown to include 
approximately 5,000 sisters.
  With such resources, Mother Teresa, late in her life, continued to 
help those that were fighting for their lives by giving her time and 
energy to those who were sick from the horrible illness known as HIV/
AIDS. Mother Teresa's work has known no borders, from houses in New 
York City, San Francisco and Tirana, Albania, to helping the radiation 
sick in Chernobyl, the hungry in Ethiopia and earthquake victims in 
Armenia.
  In 1979, Mother Teresa deservedly received the Nobel Peace prize for 
her continuing work to help the sick and the poor. In 1985 she received 
both the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Lifetime Achievement 
Award from the Foundation for Hospice and Homecare. It has been said 
though, that no matter how prestigious these awards, Mother Teresa's 
most beloved reward was the feeling she received from taking care of 
those who needed her help.
  Mr. Speaker I can stand here and recount for hours all of the 
wonderful things that Mother Teresa has done for this world. Mother 
Teresa's greatest accomplishment however is the lasting love that she 
has left behind with her mission and its continued work to serve those 
who cannot help themselves any longer.
  In recognition of Mother Teresa's birthday, beatification and all of 
her accomplishments, I ask my colleagues to join with me to honor the 
memory of this wonderful woman.

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