Mother Teresa, founder of Missionaries of Charity, will be canonized as a saint on September 3.
Prior to the occasion, interacting with the media persons here at River Belt Colony, Sister Godelaine MC, Sister Mamta MC and Sister Theophany MC cleared that there would be an observation to mark the occasion at Holy Cross on September 5 which also happens to be the death anniversary of Mother Teresa.
The branch, established in February 27, 1988, made its presence here firstly by delivering basic medicines to the needy with the help of mobile dispensaries due to lack of shelter and since 1991, it has a permanent building and presently takes care of people suffering from Tuberculosis, mental retardation, malnutrition, blindness, deafness, etc.
Sister Godelaine said everyday there would be new patients at its door seeking their help and while previously, they themselves would go and bring the needy from the streets, these days, the ex-patients bring them on their own and there is not much need and it has become popular among the needy. Sister Theophany says, due to their limitations, they cannot help all that might need the help.
She added, there has been very low monetary donations from the locals but funds that come from other places that those homes does not need fulfils their need and mentioned that there has been times when the home had suffered shortage of food but somehow some people every times arrived at the right time with exactly what was needed and called it God’s grace. Dismissing claims that sometimes are heard in the media that the patients in the charity homes indulge in converting people to Christianity, Sister Mamta said such claims are not true and the patients are only converted to become better human beings and whenever someone dies, his/her final rites are done according to their respective faith. Presently there are about 125 patients in the home, 16 infant children, 10 single mothers and between 1991 to 2015, the home had taken care of 296 orphaned children and 331 malnutrition children.
It may be noted that another charity house was established in Mokokchung in the year 1984 but was closed down in the year 1996 as not much need was felt in that area.