It was on 10 September 1946 during a train ride from Calcutta to Darjeeling for her annual retreat, that Mother Teresa received her “inspiration, her call within a call.” On that day, in a way she would never explain, Jesus’ thirst for love and for souls took hold of her heart and the desire to satiate His thirst became the driving force of her life. She responded by starting an Order of Sisters called Missionaries of Charity. This order has extended to many countries and assisted thousands and thousands of people, especially homeless people.

On 21 December 1948, she went for the first time to the slums. She visited families, washed the sores of some children, cared for an old man lying sick on the road and nursed a woman dying of hunger and tuberculosis. She started each day with communion then went out, rosary in her hand, to find and serve Him amongst “the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for.” After some months, she was joined, one by one, by her former students and from there her Order began.

St Teresa of Calcutta was canonised by Pope Francis on September 4, 2016 in a ceremony that was witnessed by tens of thousands of people, including 1,500 homeless people across Italy.

The Parish chapel at Emmaus was named St Teresa of Kolkata chapel by Fr Donnelly and it was blessed by Bishop Greg Homeming.