Continued from page 20 I t was in a hotel lobby in Jerusalem where Msgr. Troiano and his CPA colleagues met Mother Teresa, who addressed them as a group and then asked to briefly meet with each CPA member individually. During their conversation, Msgr. Troiano said he told Mother Teresa how much he admired her work. I n turn, Mother had asked him to pray for her and her sisters, the work they do and for unborn babies, which he said was a “hallmark of her mission.” N oting that Mother Teresa’s virtues of simplicity and tenacity is what made her “extraordinary,” Msgr. Troiano said, “She knew what she wanted and let it be known what she wanted. She was on a mission.” Each day, Msgr. Troiano said he recites the Rosary, and at the end, he incorporates three saints into his prayers – St. John Paul I I , whom he met twice, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, to whom he has great devotion, and Teresa of Kolkata. “She will be truly honored on Sept. 4,” he said. “H opefully, the streets of Rome will be filled when ope rancis canoni es her. ondering on the uestion what attracts people to Mother Teresa, Msgr. Troiano believes it is the “simplicity of her message of love and the witness of how her love was lived out.” “She lived Christ’s message of love and the sacrifice that is involved in loving, Msgr. Troiano continued. “She was a living example of Jesus’ teaching to love God and love your neighbor.”
More than just a job Jim arker will never forget his first job working for the Diocese of Trenton. H e and his crew from Riverview Studios, a Bordentown-based multimedia production facility, worked with the diocesan Department of Radio and Television in handling the video and broadcast production elements of Mother Teresa’s visit to St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, in 19 9 5 . “Talk about a great privilege,” said Parker. And while being charged with the task of ensuring that all production elements ran smoothly, Parker said that to be in the Cathedral and see the outpouring of love and devotion that so many people had for the woman who would be canon-
ized a saint more than 21 years later was an “experience that was a life changer.” Parker even found himself in a position where he was able to have a brief conversation with Mother Teresa. Thinking back, Parker said that Mother Teresa’s visit and the many people he had since encountered through his work with the Diocese, namely Bishop John M. Smith and Marianne H artman, director of the Diocese’s Department of Multimedia Production, inspired him in his own journey of faith to the Catholic Church. Parker said he Video Producer “drew largely from” Jim Parker Mother Teresa’s example of service to the poor, which opened the door for him to wanting to get more involved with community service outreach efforts. Of Mother Teresa’s canonization, Parker said there couldn t be a more fitting way to recogni e her and reaffirm the values she held dear, namely respect and care for fellow human beings. “She walked the walk. She lived her value,” Parker said. “Like Mother Teresa, if we want to change the world, we have to be the change we want in the world.”
A journalist’s perspective For Lois Rogers, retired features editor of The Monitor and former Asbury Park reporter, covering Mother Teresa on home ground was an extraordinary experience. “I t was such a memorable day as the Cathedral thronged inside, outside and downstairs with people who came to see
} From left, Msgr. Sam
Sirianni, then-Bishop John C. Reiss, Msgr. Edward Arnister and Msgr. Leonard Troiano meet with Mother Teresa during her 1995 visit to St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. Monitor file photo
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her,” Rogers said. “A wonderful thing was that she made herself available, walking through the throngs and letting people come close in a way that I can’t see Reporter happening today. Lois Rogers “I t was especially touching to see the people outside after the Mass – especially young people – so excited about being able to actually get a glimpse of her. “She had come to urge people to pray for vocations, and I remember some young men, particularly, in the crowd as she left being so moved. I was thinking about them this week. I f I remember correctly, she went out of her way to spend a few moments speaking with them. I was wondering about them, wondering if meeting her helped move them to become priests,” said Rogers, who currently works as a freelance reporter with The Monitor.
Mother’s sole purpose was to serve Msgr. Sam Sirianni, pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Freehold, sees Mother Teresa’s canonization as a “sign that one person can change lives.” “Even though no one can solve all the issues and problems of the world, it doesn’t mean that anyone should stop trying,” he said. “There are countless numbers of religious, priests and lay faithful who do so much wonderful work in the name of Christ, and we should look to Mother Teresa’s canonization as a sign to not lose heart, don’t give up, to remember who you are and who you are doing the work for.”