Washington, DC:

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has requested that the Vatican add a feast day for Mother Teresa to the General Roman Calendar so that Catholics across the world might celebrate her life and legacy. According to an online Catholic source, an "optional memorial" is defined as the feast days of all saints, which are voluntary festivities that the Church encourages but does not enforce.

On November 15, the U.S. bishops adopted the proposal in their Fall 2023 Plenary Assembly by a vote of 227 to 3. However, when the bishops initially decided in 2021 to add the commemoration to the calendar, the Vatican rejected the move. Observing the anniversary of Mother Teresa's death on September 5 has been proposed as an "optional memorial" for the Feast of Saint Teresa of Calcutta. She was formally canonized as "St. Teresa of Calcutta" in 2016.

According to Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, celebrating a saint's feast day is a meaningful time to reflect on the life of the saint and pray to them for assistance. He stated that Mother Teresa's testimony was unparalleled since she was the most well-known saint in the world throughout her lifetime. Bishop Barron went on to remark that her compassion for the poor sprang from a lifelong commitment to prayer.

The bishop asserts that it wasn't until after Mother Teresa's death that her struggle with "spiritual darkness" and depression was made public. The fact that Mother Teresa managed to lead such a heroic and holy life despite her own personal problems added to her appeal and brilliance. According to the USCCB statement from Wednesday, it is rare for a country to include a voluntary commemoration for a non-citizen on its calendar. Mother Teresa was born in Albania and spent most of her life in India, but in 1996, Congress designated her an honorary citizen of the United States.