Kolkata Oct 19: The angel of mercy who from today would be known as 'Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta' often said in her lifetime that she had been named after the 'Little Teresa,' namely, St Therese of the child Jesus from France. During conversations, especially religious ones, mother was often heard to refer also to the 'Big Teresa,' formerly listed in the Roman Catholic church as St Teresa of Avilla.
Mother Teresa who will be known with the prefix 'saint' after cannonisation, will be the third famous namesake of the 'big' and the 'little' Teresa, her sainthood being a certainty after today's beatification.
"While taking up her religious profession, it is customary for a Catholic nun to renounce her original name and take a religious one after a saint," said a priest who was close to Teresa.
The mother, who was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, took the name of Teresa. "When she was with the Loreto Sisters and taught Bengali at their school, she used to be known as Bengali Teresa to identify her from others with the same name," the priest said.
During her lifetime, St Teresa's Church in the Moulali area here, remained a favourite with mother since it was dedicated to the 'Little Teresa'. The Nobel laureate nun celebrated her 80th birthday at the church.
According to church documents, 'Little Teresa' was born Marie Francoise Therese Martin in 1873 in a devout family of Alencon, France. Four of her sisters had joined religious life and from her ninth year onwards, Therese tried to follow them to the Carmelite Convent at Lisieux.
Bureau Report