St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK), hosted its annual Christmas lecture at Parasmoni, the university’s social outreach centre in Bolpur, Santiniketan. Rev. Fr John Felix Raj, Vice-Chancellor of SXUK, delivered the lecture, drawing from his rare personal interactions with Mother Teresa. Weaving together memories and history, he reflected on her extraordinary life of service and compassion, describing it as a “hymn for the universe”.
In a captivating address, the V-C traced Mother Teresa’s early life and her journey to Kolkata, highlighting the core principles that shaped her mission, that peace and charity begin at home, and that service to humanity is service to God. He also spoke about her close association with the Jesuit order and shared several warm personal anecdotes from his own encounters with her.
The educationist further recalled Mother Teresa’s relationships with global and local leaders, including Pope John Paul II, Jyoti Basu and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Concluding the lecture, he reflected on her enduring legacy, noting that despite criticism, her mission and message have only grown stronger over time. In one of the most striking moments of his talk, he described Mother Teresa as the mother of Bengal, likening her fierce compassion to the protective spirit of Goddess Durga, both goddess and mother to all.