Mother Teresa Visits: Peoria, Illinois USA Dec 10, 1995

Mother Teresa's Talk at St. Mary's Cathedral

"Mary, Mother of Jesus, give us your heart so beautiful, so pure, so immaculate, your heart so full of love and humility - that we may be able to receive Jesus, the bread of life - love him, as you love him and serve him in the disgrace and disguise of the poorest of the poor.

"Let us give thanks to God for this beautiful gift that he gave to our sisters - to renew once more, again, that the determination will be all for Jesus - by renewing their vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and to give whole hearted free service to the poorest of the poor.

"We have to thank also their parents of being so generous in giving their daughters to Jesus - to be their father - to serve him and to love him and to proclaim him through their works of love among the poorest of the poor. Pray for us that we may continue God's work with great love. We are now all over the world giving that tender love and care to the poorest of the poor. And God has been very wonderful to us in giving us beautiful vocations. And we are able to serve him and bring him his joy, his love, to all those who are hungry for his love.

"We have all over the place better homes for the dying, for the crippled, for the mental - and we have now many places and offer homes for aids people suffering with aids. And you know how difficult this is with all these young people. Also, but one beautiful thing is that no one has died in distress - the beautiful way of going home to God, receiving tender love and care.

"We are very grateful to all the priests and bishops, especially for having been with us today, and receiving, and helping us to serve, and to consecrate our lives again the greater love to Jesus. Pray for us that we continue his love, because now we are in 129 countries, 562 tabernacles all over the world. It is wonderful to see the hunger of people - to love and to serve Jesus in the poorest of the poor.

"As you know, Jesus said very clearly - whatever you do to the least, you did it to me. And when we die, and we go home to God, again we hear Jesus say - come you blessed of my father, preserve the kingdom prepared to you, for you.
I was hungry and you gave me to eat,
I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink,
I was naked, and you clothed me,
I was homeless and you took me in,
I was sick and in prison and you visited me.

"This is exactly what the Missionaries of Charity are doing 24 hours. We have non-decisive, we have active and contemplative sisters, active and contemplative brothers, we have fathers, we have lay Missionaries of Charity, husband and wife taking the same vows, and also co-workers. Pray for us all that we may continue God's love, God's service to the poorest of the poor - that we remain that this is to him. To Jesus himself that we do that love, that care, that service. And pray that also we may be able to help all our people who need that tender love and care. Especially pray that we may be able soon to open a place to bring Jesus right in China also - and bring the poorest of the poor his love, his compassion, his presence. Most beautiful gift of God to our congregation is that we can have adoration every day. Though it's only one hour, that's a beautiful gift of God, to be able to be with him for that silent union, and joy and love with him. So I think that the most wonderful gift of God - that we can have that hour alone with him. And our contemplative sisters wherever they are, they have this daily adoration full day - so you are most welcome to share that adoration wherever they are, and the sisters of this adoration here also.

"Pray for our brothers and sisters, and fathers, and our lay people who are sharing the joy of loving in many, many places throughout the world.

"God bless you all."

Missionaries of Charity
506 Hancock
Peoria, Illinois
61603

An I-witness account

Mother Teresa graced Peoria Illinois USA with her presence on Sunday Dec. 10 1995. She attended 11:00 am Mass at ST. Mary's Cathedral along with local Catholic Dignitaries and as many local people of all faiths who could squeeze into the Cathedral. Authorities estimated the crowd to about two thirds Catholic. The Cathedral was designed to accomadate aprox. 750 people. The Diocese had stated that only about 150 non-parish members (general public) would be allowed inside.

This reporter's party of 3 arrived 1 hour before Mass. The police had closed off the streets surrounding the church. The network affiliates ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, were present as where many journalists representing major newspapers. We estimated the crowd in line in front of us at over 300. Our hearts sank as we calculated our chances of getting inside the Cathedral. At 31 minutes til MASS the freezing crowd (temp near zero) began counting backwords in unison 59-58-57 etc. ....3-2-1-0 "praise God let us in".(The ushers had planned to let the public in at 10:30.) The doors opened and the crowd began to trickel in. We watched the line as we inched our way hopefully towards the door. By 11:00 AM the door was shut, the church was full, Mass was starting. I was next in line!!!!

We prayed for a miracle. I peered through the the tiny window in the door hoping to catch a glimps of Mother Teresa. Ten minutes after the Mass started the usher opened the door. "Eight more people may come in", he said. "Thank you Jesus and Mary". Once inside we found a place to stand in the balcony. We could see everything clearly. An air of HOLINESS filled the Cathedral.

After communion Mother Teresa spoke for about 5 minutes. She first offered a prayer to the Virgin Mary then spoke of the work that they (The Daughters of Charity) do, she never asked for money. She is so humble. She also quoted the words of Jesus: "... for I was hungry and you clothed me..."

Then before Bishop Meyers pronounced the final blessing he announced: "Mother Teresa would like to greet each of you personally and give you a medal (A collective gasp!!! overcame the congregation) but it has to be done in an orderly fashion...and the police will be in charge". The excitement mounted as we all contemplated our moment with Mother Teresa. After about 45 minutes of waiting in line it was my turn. I approached Mother Teresa, knelt briefly and extended my rosary wraped hand. She smiled and placed a medal in my hand, then it was over.

My personal impression: Very old, very tiny very humble. There is something about this women that brings grown men to their knees. She has gained her popularity not by manipulating the media with sound-bytes but by serving the poorest of the poor in places we would never go. She is truely a living saint!

As we exited the church we saw hundreds of pilgrims massing at the door of the Cathedral. Mother had requested that they be allowed inside to greet her too.

The local CBS WMBD affiliate said they are offering the entire story on VHS tape through Dec 29, 1995

WMBD TV
St. Mary's Mass
3131 N. University
Peoria Illinos 61604
Check or money order for $12.00

http://www.wmbd.com

Reference:

Catholic Diocese of Peoria
412 NE Madison Avenue
Peoria, Illinois 61603-372
Telephone (309) 671-155
Office of Communications FAX (309) 671-1595

MOTHER TERESA VISIT

Here is what we know up-to-the-minute regarding the visit of Mother Teresa to Peoria Ill. USA on Sunday, December 10, 1995:

Mother Teresa will be arriving by private airplane at all undetermined time on Sunday morning. She will be transported to St. Mary's Cathedral (607 NE Madison Ave-) where she will attend the 11 a.m. Cathedral Mass. Bishop John J. Myers ofthe Diocese of Peoria will celebrate the Mass. Also in attendance will be retired flishop Edward O'Rourke, Abbot Roger Corpus, OSB, of St. Bede Abbey in Peru, Ill., and Archabbot Lambert Reilly, OSB, of St. Meinrad Archabbey, St. Meinrad, Ind.

Mother Teresa is coming to Peoria because seven (not six, as previously reported) sisters from the religious community she founded, the Missionaries of Charity, will renew their vows during the 11 a.m. Mass. Near the end of the Mass, perhaps around noon, Mother Teresa is expected to address the congregation in St. Mary's Cathedral. After the Mass, Mother Teresa has been invited to address any crowds gathered outside the Cathedral from the balcony of the Cathedral rectory, next door to the Cathedral.

After this address, it is anticipated that Mother will rest with sisters from her community. Mother Teresa will depart for her airplane from Saint Francis Medical Center. We ask members of the media not to try to attend the airport arrival and departure and not to invite the public to try to attend.

As cathedrals go, St. Mary's Cathedral is quite small. There are a limited number of seats available for the general public (perhaps 150), and a limited number of designated spaces for members of the media.

Mother Teresa Visit Update

Bishop John J. Myers (Peoria Illinois USA) first met Mother Teresa while in Rome for the induction of new members into the College of Cardinals. He extended an invitation for the Missionaries of Charity of come to the Peoria Diocese, and in the summer of 1991 the order opened their 30th foundation in the United States at 506 Hancock Street, just around the corner from St. Mary's Cathedral.

Upon their arrival, retired Bishop Edward W. O'Rourke stated that the presence of the Missionaries of Charity would make service to the poor of the neighborhood "more spiritual and more personal."

The Diocese of Peoria has long been special to Mother Teresa, because the Peoria Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (DCCW) adopted her in 1958 and over the years has donated approximately $300,000 to her causes. Mother Teresa visited the Peoria Diocese in 1960 to thank the women of DCCW.

Born to Albanian parents on August 27, 1910, Mother Teresa knew she wanted to be a missionary to help the poor by the time she was twelve years old. While teaching at a girls' college in Calcutta, she received a "call" in 1946 to live among the poor and help them. Her work in the Calcutta slums led to the founding of the Missionaries of Charity, which became a diocesan religious community in 1950; fifteen years later it became a pontifical congregation, directly under Vatican jurisdiction. In addition to vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, members of the Missionaries of Charity pledge to give whole-hearted and free service to the poorest of the poor.

Among Mother Teresa's numerous awards have been the presidential Medal of Freedom (1985), the Nobel Peace Prize (1979), and the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (l971). While her schedule has slowed a bit, she continues to travel the world to deliver a single message: love and caring are the most important things in the world.