杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

On 26 August 1910, Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu was born in Skopje, then a part of the Ottoman Empire, to a Kosovar Albanian family. One day later, the baby girl who would go on to become Saint Mother Teresa (St Teresa of Calcutta) was baptized in the nearby church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

It is on the site of that church 鈥� which was destroyed by the devastating 1963 earthquake 鈥� that Skopje has built the Memorial House of Mother Teresa, to celebrate the life of its most famous daughter. With over 100,000 visitors each year, it is one of Skopje鈥檚 most visited monuments.

Saint Mother Teresa's Mission

鈥淢other Teresa鈥檚 mission was to help, [to show] solidarity, to spread love, and to serve God as well鈥�, said Arijan Aslanaj, the director of the Memorial House.

He told Vatican Radio that the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 visit will be important for the country, encouraging human values including inter-religious and inter-ethnic respect and tolerance. He pointed to Mother Teresa鈥檚 life of service, especially to the 鈥減oorest of the poor鈥�, whom she assisted without prejudice or discrimination. 鈥淢other Teresa was helping everyone,鈥� Aslanaj said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the heritage we have from her, and spreading love for one another, and helping God鈥�.

Museum and Chapel 

The Memorial House, which was opened in 2009, is of a modern design, but modelled on a typical family home from the time of Mother Teresa鈥檚 youth. The first floor houses a small museum with photos, objects relating to Mother Teresa, and several relics, including handwritten notes the Saint and a piece of her sari.

The second floor of the Memorial House includes a chapel, where Mass is celebrated once a week, and on significant dates associated with Saint Mother Teresa. On important feasts and for significant events, the relics of Mother Teresa are exposed for the veneration of the faithful.

Inter-religious and inter-ethnic tolerance

During his visit, 杏MAP导航 Francis will stop in the chapel for a moment of silent prayer before the relics. He will be joined by religious leaders from the various confessions present in North Macedonia, including Eastern Orthodoxy, Methodism, Islam, and Judaism. Aslanaj, whose position as director of the Memorial House is a political appointment, said that, as a Muslim, he is honoured and privileged to care for the monument to Mother Teresa.

He said that if he gets a chance to meet with the 杏MAP导航, he hopes to be able to pray with him: 鈥淏ecause I鈥檓 Albanian, and I鈥檓 Muslim here as the director of this memorial house, I would like to have a prayer together. Me in my religion, him in his religion, and it will be鈥� I don鈥檛 know. It will be a prayer for Mother Teresa鈥檚 spirit鈥�, that is, a prayer to share in the spirit that animated St Teresa of Calcutta. Aslanaj said he expects the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 visit to Skopje to be very good for religion, and for inter-religious and inter-ethnic tolerance in the world, in order 鈥渢o have a bit more understanding鈥�. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my wish actually鈥�, he said.