Peace Bridge on Niagara River to be lit to honour Mother Teresa’s birth centenary
(Aug.05,2010) In honour of the 100th birthday of Bl. Mother Teresa, on Aug. 26, the
Peace Bridge spanning the Niagara River in the US, will be illuminated with blue and
white, the colours of the Missionaries of Charity. The lighting of the bridge, which
connects Buffalo and Fort Erie, will be a beautiful tribute to the missionary, a local
bishop said. Bishop Edward U. Kmiec of Buffalo and Msgr. Wayne Kirkpatrick, administrator
of the Canadian Diocese of St. Catharines, jointly requested the action from the Peace
Bridge Authority. “Blessed Mother Teresa was truly a child of the light, whose
life was a shining example of Christ our Light reaching out to people everywhere,
promoting love and peace in our world,” commented Msgr. Kirkpatrick. “The lighting
of this bridge, which spans two dioceses and two countries, symbolizes her light reaching
out across the great chasm to all people,” he said. Bishop Kmiec said the action is
a “beautiful tribute” to Mother Teresa. “Her missionary spirit lives on through the
countless lives she touched. I am grateful that this unique structure will pay tribute
to her on this special occasion,” the bishop commented. “This is symbolic in that
Blessed Mother Teresa’s light continues to shine around the world.” Mother Teresa’s
service to the poor in India won worldwide admiration. The sisters of her order, the
Missionaries of Charity, serve in Canada, the U.S. and around the world in homes for
the dying, in orphanages and in hospitals.