Rosa Anna Asaro was born in nearby Pozzallo and, now a university lecturer, lives in Catania.

She holds the Gold Medal for 2007 from the Senate of the Italian Republic in recognition for her poetry. She has also received multiple awards for her poetry.

As a member of the San Cataldo Rotary Club she has written this book of poetry in honour of the soon to be canonized Mother Teresa.

This book is thus a collection of poems in English and Italian with Maltese poet Gorg Peresso and Rotarian (and relative) Pat Salomone translating into English. Artist Daniela de Naro embellishing this slim volume with drawings.

The nun we know as Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Albania. At the early age of 12 she felt the call of God. In 1928 she joined the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin. Some months later she left for India where at first she read for a degree and later taught and ran a clean and organised school.

As time went on, she left the Sisters of Loreto and dedicated her entire life to serving the poorest, wearing the white sari to identify herself with the poorest of the poor. She thus became Mother Theresa of Calcutta and the group of nuns around her became the Missionaries of Charity. This little woman, apparently so frail, left the convent and went to live in a shed, dedicating her whole life to the poorest among the poor.

Thus began an extraordinary story graduating from that one shed to other places in the slums where she washed the sores of the sick and gathered the children of the most needy, teaching them to read and write.

This slim book is an amazing collection of poems about the various facets of Mother Teresa's character and achievement.

Sometimes the poems appear as personal, intimate, reflections by Mother Teresa at various phases in her life or as speaking to the Lord. Many times the poems reflect on words written by Mother Teresa.

 

 

Rosa Anna Asaro

The Gardens of Calcutta

Paruzzo Editore

2011

112pp