Crystal Cathedral, the Garden Grove, Calif., megachurch known for its "Hour of Power" broadcasts, will this weekend during its celebration of Mother's Day, honor Roman Catholic icon Mother Teresa of Calcutta and feature a special sermon from the Rev. Bobby Schuller.Mother Teresa, humanitarian, laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize and a recognized blessed figure of the Catholic Church, has been popular with Christians, including evangelicals. Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren, who is one of the most popular evangelical figures in America, has written the forward to a book released by Time magazine about the renowned nun of Calcutta. Warren praises Mother Teresa as one of the greatest evangelists of the 20th century.
Albert Mohler, the ninth president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., has written about Mother Teresa, saying: "The remarkable nun had achieved world-wide recognition for her work among those she identified as 'the poorest of the poor,' and that recognition was richly deserved."
Despite being lauded by many as providing a true example of evangelism and self-sacrificing service, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who passed away in 1997, remains a somewhat controversial figure among some observers. Mother Teresa's diaries, published in 2002, revealed that she was tormented by a crisis of faith for 50 years, which made some critics question Pope John Paul II's decision to support her speedy beatification after her death.
The ministry, founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller and his wife Arvella, has been struggling financially for years. In Oct. 2010, the church filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and in February of this year, its lofty glass property in Garden Grove was sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange County. The congregation has less than three years to find new premises while it leases the property from the Diocese.
