Curtains on St. Mother Teresa film festival fall
“Saint Mother Teresa brought humanity together through her service,” said the Archbishop of Hyderabad while presiding over the closing ceremony of the St Mother Teresa film festival on Thursday. The festival was organised by the Amruthavani Communication Centre and SIGNIS Telangana and AP.
Rev. Thumma Bala, the Archbishop, said, “Around 5,000 sisters from the Missionaries of Charity, an organisation started by St Mother Teresa, are serving people across all seven continents. Sisters in Hyderabad can often be seen taking care of orphans and the destitute, following the example of compassion and affection set by St. Teresa.”
The film festival was conducted to commemorate the 20th anniversary of St. Mother Teresa’s death. Thirty films were screened about the saint and her service to people irrespective of caste, creed, religion, sex, and colour.
“Educated people do not live their lives with the tags of doctors, lawyers and engineers. They lead by example, by being com- passionate towards the unfortunate,” said Rajeshwar Rao an MLC— who attended the ceremony. He said that Mother Teresa was an inspiration for all people.
Father U. Balashoury, the director of Amruthavani and the president of SIGNIS, said, “St Mother Teresa believed that she was serving God even by giving the needy a glass of water, and therefore she became the mother of all. More such film festivals will be organised in TS and AP.”
Anup Rubens, a Tollywood music director, sang Veluthune Vundu in honour of the Saint and said that he was fortunate enough to have been able to sing in a play dedicated to St Teresa at the beginning of his career.
Five public service advertisements created in collaboration with Divyavani were unveiled by former MLA Jaya Sudha, who said that she was inspired by Mother Teresa, at the closing ceremony of the festival.
The advertisements covered topics such as cleanliness, smoking and child labour. A portrait of St Teresa was garlanded by the Archbishop and Rajeshwar Rao.