Exhibition on life, works of Mother Teresa at UN in September

United Nations, Aug 25: An exhibition showcasing the life and works of Mother Teresa, who spent most of her life in service of the destitute in India, will be organised at the UN's headquarters here next month in celebration of the Nobel Laureate being declared a Saint on September 4.

The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN, together with non-profit legal organisation ADF International, will host the exhibition dedicated to her "words, witness, and works" from September 6-9.

The exhibition will open just days after Mother Teresa, who had founded the "Missionaries of Charity", is declared a Saint by Pope Francis at a ceremony in the Vatican on September 4.

The date chosen for her canonisation is the eve of the 19th anniversary of her death. The Popehad cleared the way for her sainthood last year when he recognised a second miracle attributed to Mother Teresa.

"Mother Teresa was a true advocate for the sanctity of life and the family," ADF International Executive Director Doug Napier said in a statement.

"Sometimes she used words to present her ideas, but her actions and example spoke louder than her words. She acted faithfully and relentlessly. It is this passion that makes her a great role model for anyone working with or at the United Nations," Napier said.

Napier said the exhibit should remind the world of her wisdom, outstanding work and her "radical love for every human being, the poor, the sick, the unborn, and the dying."

The exhibition would culminate with a conference on 87-year-old Mother Teresa's "enduring message to the international community."

The conference will also focus on aspects of her life and work, such as caring for the poorest of the poor, advocating for peace, and leaving no one behind, ADF said.

UN Secretary General Perez de Cuellar had introduced the Catholic nun before her speech in front of the General Assembly in 1985 by saying "Mother Teresa is the United Nations" to illustrate that she embodied what the UN's mission is supposed to be.

PTI