I’m loving watching the great Mother Teresa Empire State Building Campaign of 2010. August 26th will mark the 100th anniversary of the late Catholic sister’s birth. Donahue, president of the Catholic League – who you’ve probably encountered a time or two telling truths no one else really wants to have to – put an application into the Empire State Building requesting that the lights that night honor her memory and work. His request was denied. Among the reasons was that the Empire State Building does not do religious figures. History, as Donahue points out, suggests something else.
Donahue also points out that the Empire State Building appears to be perversely discriminating. He writes in one of his many statements on the campaign (on its 22nd day): “the same persons who chose to stiff Mother Teresa decided to honor the Chinese Communist revolution last year, even though 77 million innocent men, women and children were murdered under Mao Zedong.”
And while the Empire State Building may not be interested in Mother Teresa, Donahue, who has a demonstration planned for the birthday, is doing his part to shine a bright light on her life again, something that can’t hurt the many students and families who he has turned onto the campaign. I find myself, as I often do, saying “Good for Bill!”
And since we’re on the topic, here’s her Nobel Peace Prize lecture.