There is hardly anyone in this city, wretchedly poor or rich, young or old who does not have a personal anecdote about Mother Teresa and how she permanently touched their lives. She is credited with curing the terminally ill and performing miracles for the disturbed and needy. Above all, she guaranteed a feeling of peace and quietitude to anyone who came into contact with her. Most of Calcutta already calls Mother Teresa a Saint, but the Vatican is not likely to canonise her for some time. According to Catholic church sources in Calcutta, it will hear appeals to beatify her in 2002, five years after her death in keeping in accordance with church rules.
Canonisation is likely to follow several years later.
Father le Joly, the 88-year old Belgian Roman Catholic priest who was Mother Teresa's spiritual guide and has written three books on her believes she will be known as Saint Teresa after a few years because she had a ''vision of God''. The future of the Missionaries of Charity, meanwhile hangs in the balance after her death last week, particularly with regard to funding. Sources close to Mother Teresa in Calcutta yesterday said the Order and its various activities were synonymous with her, with few donors even knowing what it was called. Cheques posted to Mother Teresa, Calcutta, invariably found their way to her, but Catholic church sources doubted whether this would continue to happen in the future. Others associated with the Order felt personality clashes would erupt within it without Mother Teresa's guidance and strong personality.