History of the Cause of Mother Teresa

5 September 1997 Mother Teresa dies at the Motherhouse in Calcutta at 9:30 pm.

23 October 1997 Archbishop Henry D'Souza petitions the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for a dispensation from the norm requiring a waiting period of five years after death so that he may initiate the Diocesan Enquiry into the Life, Virtues, and Reputation of Sanctity of Mother Teresa.

12 December 1998 Congregation for the Causes of Saints grants dispensation to Archbishop.

19 March 1999 The Superior Generals of the Missionaries of Charity appoint Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C., as Postulator to oversee the Enquiry and Cause, and act on their behalf.

8 April 1999 The Bishops of the West Bengal region agree to introduce the Cause before the standard five-year period.

21 April 1999 The Congregation for the Causes of Saints issues the "Nihil Obstat" declaring there is no obstacle on the part of the Holy See to the Cause of Canonization of Mother Teresa.

6 June 1999 Sister M. Lynn Mascarenhas, M.C. appointed as Vice Postulatrix.

11 June 1999 Postulator submits the petition to the Archbishop of Calcutta requesting him to initiate the Diocesan Enquiry; included is a Biographical Report and a List of Witnesses to be questioned.

12 June 1999 Archbishop makes public the Petition of the Postulator and declares he is initiating the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

26 July 1999 The Official Opening of the Cause in St. Mary's Church, Calcutta. The Archbishop administers an oath to the 12 members of the Diocesan Enquiry Team.

This Opening begins the period of field research, interviews with eyewitnesses, and review of documents and materials pertaining to the life and work of Mother Teresa. Concluding in August 2001, this work produces 80 volumes of material, each approximately 450 pages, for presentation to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

15 August 2001 Closing session of the Diocesan Enquiry into the Life, Virtues, and Reputation of Sanctity of the Servant of God, Mother Teresa of Calcutta in St. Mary's Church. The Acts of the Diocesan Enquiry is to be carried to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome by the Postulator.

29 August 2001 The opening of the Transcript of the Acts of the Diocesan Enquiry into the Life, Virtues and Reputation of Sanctity of the Servant of God Mother Teresa.

22 September 2001 The Congregation for the Causes of Saints declares the validity of the Diocesan Enquiry of Calcutta and the Rogatory Inquiries.

The Congregation for the Causes of Saints appoints the Rev. Msgr. Jose Luis Gutierrez Gomez as Relator of the Cause.

26 April 2002 The Positio is completed and given to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for study.