Living example of Mother Teresa’s love talks to Aucklanders

For Immediate Release
02.12.2016

Living example of Mother Teresa’s love, talks to Aucklanders.

‘Love can heal and give a life’, this was the main thought that was evident from the recent annual meeting of the Mother Teresa Interfaith Committee. The committee held its annual gathering on 27 November, at St. Paul’s College, Ponsonby.

The gathering was very well attended by people from various faiths and walks of life. Some of the chief guests included, Most.Rev.Bishop Patrick Dunn, Worship Mayor Phil Goff, His Excellency Sanjiv Kohli, Indian High Commissioner, Guest Speaker Gautam Lewis, Members of Parliament Ms. Melisa Lee, Mr. Bakshi, Mr. Peter Good Fellow, President of the National Party, Superior and Sisters of Mother Teresa Missionary of Charity along with the representatives of the various faith communities.

The programme was started with Traditional Welcome by Inspector Joe Tipene

Reverend Patrick Dunn – Catholic Bishop of Auckland, greeted everyone on this occasion and spoke about the need in today’s generation to work with both reason and faith.

Mr. Sanjiv Kohli, the Indian High Commissioner also addressed the gathering, speaking on the great mission work that Mother Teresa’s organisation is doing in India and globally to help the needy and the poor.

Mayor Phil Goff addressed the gathering and welcomed the great diversity the event showed, which was symbolic of the lifestyle of the super city Auckland and paid tributes to the work of Mother Teresa.

The guest speaker was Mr. Gautam Lewis who came from UK, to be part of this celebration.
Gautam is a living example of the love and care of Mother Teresa.

His is an amazing story of how his parents left him when he was just 3 years old because he had polio. Maybe they did not know how to cope. Mother gave him her home- an Irish woman Patricia told Mother that she would give him education. Mother’s response was it is good but he needs Mother’s love. His destiny changed. She brought him to New Zealand where he was here for a very short while and went over to England and studied in the same school as Prince Charles. Later on, he became a Pilot. He also now has a Pilot Training School teaching students with disability to be Pilot. He has to have a special designed plane for the students with disability.

Gautam says, Mother Teresa, uttered these words to him, when he saw her last, just before she died, “Nothing is difficult, just different. If you can’t find anyone to help you realize your dreams, don’t be afraid of the unknown and achieve your dreams on your own.” This has been the driving power for me, all these years.

“Saint Teresa of Calcutta gave me protection when I needed it the most. She fended for me and fought in my corner so I could survive the Black Hole of Kolkata and have a life full of happiness away from the City of Joy. I now have a BIG responsibility not to waste or abuse the second chance at life Mother Teresa gave me. Without her service above self, my life would have remained one of grinding poverty”, says Gautam.

Gautam is also a great photographer. He is having an exhibition of his photos, to be inaugurated by Dame Susan Devoy at Regent College and will have the exhibition open for a week for the Public.

To celebrate Mother’s sainthood, Gautam also made a film and took photos that were part of a multimedia project that toured India for nearly 3 months. He says, “What my film Mother Teresa & Me celebrates is the gift of the human imagination; and explores the power of Mother Teresa’s passion for the human race.”

Mr Wenceslaus Anthony, Chair of the Mother Teresa Interfaith Committee spoke on the Sainthood of Mother Teresa. “Her work has redefined poverty: poverty is not just material, but also human, lives devoid of love. Her work as a response to the love of God for an action in the world, tradition and development. Mother Teresa was proclaimed a saint not for herself, she was already considered a saint during her lifetime, but for us, so that we may absorb the wealth of her message and experience.”

Background
The Mother Teresa Centennial Committee was established in 2010 to commemorate the centenary of Mother Teresa and was renamed as ‘The Mother Teresa Interfaith Committee,’ which comprises representatives of most religions and faiths. It is a non-political and not-for-profit organisation.

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