(August 28, 2010) Macedonia and Albania celebrated the 100th birthday
of Mother Teresa of Kolkata on Thursday. A mass was held in the cathedral dedicated
to Mother Teresa in Vau Dejes, in the Shkodra region, with senior officials attending.
Albanian Prime Minister, Sali Berisha described Mother Teresa as a woman who gave
more than anyone to the nation. In Tirana, Albanian President Bamir Topi presented
the Millennium Road for Peace project that honours Mother Teresa. The saintly nun,
foundress of the Missionaries of Charity order, was born of Albanian parents on August
26, 1910, in Skopje, in what is Macedonia’s capital today. She died in the eastern
Indian city of Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, on September 5, 1997. Pope John Paul II
declared her Blessed in Rome, Italy, on October 19, 2003. In Skopje, the Macedonian
parliament met on Thursday to pay tribute to Mother Teresa. Speaker Trajko Veljanovski
told lawmakers that she remains an example of dedication to humanity. In Kosovo,
authorities released a postage stamp in her honour. Albanians are proud of the Albanian
origins of Mother Teresa, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. The country's airport,
main hospital and a square in the capital, Tirana, are named after her. Statues of
Mother Teresa stand in the National Museum and in front of Tirana University.