The sainthood conferred by Pope Francis on Mother Teresa of Calcutta on Sept. 4 here in the Vatican, was greeted with great enthusiasm and celebration across the globe, especially in India, but more specially in Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, the capital of eastern India’s West Bengal state, that the Albania-born nun adopted as her home town. Among the estimated 120,000 faithful and admirers of Mother Teresa from across the world who were proud to be the first-hand witnesses of the canonization ceremony here in St. Peter's Square was Mr. Subrata Ganguly, a businessman from Kolkata. Mother Teresa and Mr. Ganguly have much more in common than just being from the same city. From his surname, Mr. Ganguly is a Hindu Brahmin, a non-Christian, but he is no stranger to Christian art. Perhaps he is more versed in Christian art than most Christians. A mechanical engineer turned businessman, Mr. Ganguly is the owner and CEO of Church Art, a uni...
The sainthood conferred by Pope Francis on Mother Teresa of Calcutta on Sept. 4 here in the Vatican, was greeted with great enthusiasm and celebration across the globe, especially in India, but more specially in Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, the capital of eastern India’s West Bengal state, that the Albania-born nun adopted as her home town. Among the estimated 120,000 faithful and admirers of Mother Teresa from across the world who were proud to be the first-hand witnesses of the canonization ceremony here in St. Peter's Square was Mr. Subrata Ganguly, a businessman from Kolkata. Mother Teresa and Mr. Ganguly have much more in common than just being from the same city.
From his surname, Mr. Ganguly is a Hindu Brahmin, a non-Christian, but he is no stranger to Christian art. Perhaps he is more versed in Christian art than most Christians. A mechanical engineer turned businessman, Mr. Ganguly is the owner and CEO of Church Art, a unit of Lokenath Engineering of Kolkata, engaged in designing and manufacturing a wide variety of art works for Christian churches, schools, institutions and museums all over India and also abroad.
Ahead of the Sept. 4 canonization of Mother Teresa in the Vatican, Mr. Subrata Ganguly paid his special homage to Mother Teresa, immortalizing her in a life-size bronze statue that will endure the ravages of time for a very long time to come. Mr. Ganguly headed the designing, sculpting and finally installing the 1.6 meter tall statue weighing about 240 kilos in the Archbishop's House in Kolkata, next to the statue of St John Paul II. The figure cast in Bangkok, Thailand, was financed and donated by entrepreneur and philanthropist, Mr Namit Bajoria, another Hindu, who is the Designate Honorary Consul of the Republic of Macedonia in Kolkata. The Chief Minister of West Bengal state, Ms Mamata Banerjee unveiled the statue at a special function on August 26, on Mother Teresa's 106th birth anniversary. But there’s much more between Mother Teresa and Mr. Ganguly, as we come to know from this interview with him.
null / Credit: Peter Hermes Furian via ShutterstockACI Prensa Staff, Apr 19, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) on April 19 condemned the kidnapping and murder of a catechist in Burkina Faso, West Africa.In a news brief, ACN informed ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, that catechist Edouard Yougbare was kidnapped on Thursday night by "terrorists, and his lifeless body was found near Zigni this morning."According to other local sources, along with Yougbare, who was a member of Saatenga parish in Fada Gourma, Burkina Faso, more people were kidnapped and murdered."We are heartbroken by the loss of Yougbare. He served his community faithfully and his death is a devastating blow for the people of Saatenga," lamented Spaniard María Lozano, press and public relations director of ACN International."Catechists in Burkina Faso are on the front lines, risking their lives for the good of their people. Just two months ago, ano...
Pope Francis addresses the faithful at his Wednesday general audience on March 27, 2024. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Apr 19, 2024 / 10:07 am (CNA).In the latest move in Pope Francis' reform of the Vatican judiciary, the pope issued a new motu proprio on Friday on the retirement age and benefits for cardinal judges and magistrates in the Vatican's court system.The April 19 motu proprio states that Vatican magistrates will retire at the end of the judicial year in which they turn 75 and cardinal judges at the age of 80, unless Pope Francis asks them to remain in office beyond the age limit.Magistrates and judges who wish to resign from office before the retirement age can only do so with the approval of the pope.The pope also has the prerogative to dismiss magistrates unable to fulfill their duties at any time. Upon the termination of their duties, magistrates will retain the rights to assistance and welfare provided to Vatican citizens and employees.The motu proprio, wh...
Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski of Krakow announced on April 14, 2024, the decision to begin the process of beatification and canonization of Helena Agnieszka Kmiec, a young lay missionary murdered in Bolivia in 2017. / Credit: The Helena Kmiec FoundationACI Prensa Staff, Apr 19, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski of Krakow, Poland, announced the decision to begin the process of beatification and canonization of Helena Agnieszka Kmiec, a young lay missionary murdered in Bolivia in 2017.The prelate said that after the preliminary phase began in December 2022, he made the decision to officially open the process for Kmiec after having consulted the Polish Bishops' Conference and receiving the go-ahead from the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints."With this edict I call on all those who have any document, letter, or information about the Servant of God, both positive and negative, to send them to the Metropolitan Curia of Krakow before June 30," the archbish...