Mother Teresa is now Saint Teresa. As Pope Francis officially canonized the revered Catholic nun at the Vatican Sunday, Catholics in the city remembered her life, work and legacy. NY1's Matt McClure filed the following report.
As more than 100,000 people gathered at the Vatican to witness Pope Francis officially declare Mother Teresa a saint, the Catholic faithful also celebrated the revered nun's canonization at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan.
While her sainthood wasn't the sole focus of this mass, Mother Teresa was definitely a hot topic of discussion.
"What was considered literally trash - human beings left to rot and die in the gutters of Calcutta - she would treat with immense dignity and respect," said Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York.
Mother Teresa is remembered for her charitable work, primarily with the poor in Calcutta. She founded the religious congregation "Missionaries of Charity," which still has thousands of sisters working around the world.
The church's newest saint won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She died 19 years ago almost to the day, September 5, 1997 at the age of 87.
Dolan and those in attendance at St. Patrick's Cathedral remembered Mother Teresa as a role model for their lives and the lives of countless others.
"She had that beautiful saying, 'God doesn't want us to be perfect, he only wants us to be faithful.' And she was faithful even in times of trial," Dolan said.
"She gave herself to everybody, and that's a marvelous thing," said one person in attendance.
"She's an awesome example of charity, of love, of humility," said another.
In Brooklyn, congregants gathered at Our Lady of Victory in Bed-Stuy, a church Mother Teresa visited herself in 1995.
Several nuns from the Missionaries of Charity were in attendance, wearing the trademark white and blue saris.
"I hope someday I will be like her," said one person in attendance.
"All of us are called to be holy, and we look to the saints to help us to become better people," said Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Back in Manhattan, the Archdiocese will officially celebrate Mother Teresa's canonization with a special mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Saturday at 9:30 a.m.