Macedonia marks 102. anniversary of Mother Teresa's birth

A premiere of 'Living With Mother Teresa' - work of art of Japanese Director Shigeki Chiba - will mark the 102nd anniversary of Mother Teresa's birth.

The film, produced in 2010 to mark her birth centenary, depicts how the spirit of Mother Teresa has been transferred in Japan; Japanese medical interns working in the House for The Dying in Calcutta, volunteers working for the hospice called "Hope House" in Sanya, Tokyo, and Sisters and Brothers of Mother Teresa, living with lonely elderly and homeless persons.

The film will be presented Sunday evening in the Mother Teresa Memorial House in Skopje.

Earlier today, the state 'Mother Teresa' awards for humanity and solidarity will be presented at the Army House in Skopje.

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje on August 26, 1910. Her family was of Albanian descent. "By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus."

In late 2003, she was beatified, the third step toward possible sainthood. A second miracle credited to Mother Teresa is required before she can be recognized as a saint by the Catholic church.

Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation, which in 2012 consisted of over 4,500 sisters and is active in 133 countries. Members of the order must adhere to the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, and the fourth vow, to give "Wholehearted and Free service to the poorest of the poor". The Missionaries of Charity at the time of her death had 610 missions in 123 countries including hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children's and family counselling programmes, orphanages and schools.

For over 45 years, she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries. Her beatification by Pope John Paul II following her death (September 5, 1997) gave her the title "Blessed Teresa of Calcutta".

She was the recipient of numerous honours including the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. She refused the conventional ceremonial banquet given to laureates, and asked that the $192,000 funds be given to the poor in India.

138th Anniversary of Goce Delcev's birth observed

The 138th anniversary from the birth Macedonian revolutionary Goce Delcev was marked Thursday with a service held by Macedonian Orthodox Church clergymen at Delcev's grave in church "St.Spas".
Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, accompanied by Minister of Interior Gordana Jankuloska and Economy Minister Fatmir Besimi, laid flowers at Delcev's tomb, along with delegations from the President's Cabinet, Parliament, Defense Ministry, political parties, municipalities, institutions and associations.
Professor Natasa Kotlar delivered an oration on the ideologist of Macedonian revolutionary struggle by the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.
"Delcev is a revolutionary of the Balkans, organizer, man of ideas, agitator, voivode. He is a representative of the Macedonian national intelligence and avant-garde, whose main task was a moral and political revolution in the concrete time of history", said Kotlar. Flowers will also be laid at Delcev's monument in the City Park, whereas poetry reading dedicated to Delcev will be held in publishing house "Feniks", in the framework of the Festival of Tea and Reading.
The anniversary observance is organized by international event "Goce Days", funded by the culture and defense ministries.
Goce Delcev, a visionary who saw the world as a field for cultural competition among nations a century ago, was born in Kukus in 1872. He was educated at the Thessaloniki high school and the Sofia Military Academy. Delcev worked as teacher in Stip, and as member of the secret Macedonian revolutionary organization was active in the establishment of its network. He was killed by the Turkish army in village Banica on May 4, 1903.