A film presenting the life of St. Teresa of Calcutta, commonly referred to as Mother Teresa, will be premiering in theaters for two days in October.
In theaters Oct. 3-4, “Mother Teresa: No Greater Love” is airing in more than 960 locations across the United States. The film was produced by the Knights of Columbus, the world’s largest Catholic fraternal organization.
The film displays the life of the 20th-century saint and the impact both she and her Missionaries of Charity have had on the people they have served throughout the world. The Missionaries of Charity are a religious community dedicated to serving the poorest in society.
“The Missionaries of Charity are not publicity seekers,” David Naglieri, director of the film, told CNA. “So, to have the opportunity to highlight the incredible work they do and the way that they live the Gospel, I think this story can positively impact people’s lives and draw them closer to their faith.”
Filmed on five continents, the documentary features “incredible access” to the apostolates run by the Missionaries of Charity, Naglieri said.
One of his favorite parts of the film includes footage in Kenya, where the Missionaries of Charity are caring for children with deformities and serious developmental disabilities.
The scene includes a Missionary of Charity sister feeding a baby with hydrocephalus, a condition in which fluid builds up in the brain.
“To see these children … and just the love and the care for that child was just something that deeply moved me,” he said.
Commentary from Catholic voices is included in the film, including Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly of the Knights of Columbus; Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester; Jim Wahlberg, a filmmaker who credits Mother Teresa as being instrumental in his conversion; Jim Towey, a friend of Mother Teresa; Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, postulator of Mother Teresa’s cause of canonization; and Father Donald Haggerty of the Archdiocese of New York.
The film is being hosted by the distributor Fathom Events. Tickets for the documentary can be purchased online at Fathom Events.
“I think what sets this film apart is the fact that it comes 25 years after her death,” Naglieri said. “So it’s the first film that has had the chance to completely soak in her life, her legacy, and also deal with some of the information and revelations of Mother Teresa that came later.”
Some of that information includes a window into the saint’s spiritual life, including times when she experienced desolation during her service to the poor. The film covers her friendship with St. John Paul II as well.
St. Teresa of Calcutta was born Aug. 26, 1910, in Skopje, in what is now North Macedonia. She joined the Sisters of Loretto at age 17 and founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 in Kolkata, India. Today, the community’s headquarters is still in Kolkata, with houses across the globe.
The saint was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her service to the poor. She died Sept. 5, 1997, and was canonized by Pope Francis on Sept. 4, 2016.
“One of my hopes for this film is that it can reignite a devotion to Mother Teresa and, more importantly,” Naglieri said, “inspire people to come back to their faith.”
