The US Postal Service issued the stamp during a special ceremony held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington on Sunday. The 44-cent stamp features a portrait of Mother Teresa, who received a Nobel prize in 1979, painted by award-winning artist Thomas Blackshear II of Colorado Springs. Blackshear was also in attendance at the event.
Teresa, who died in Kolkata on September 5, 1997, and is buried there, was awarded honorary US citizenship in 1996. Noted for her compassion toward the poor and suffering, Mother Teresa, a diminutive Roman Catholic nun, served the sick and destitute of India and the world for nearly 50 years. "Often, stamps are referred to as a nation's 'calling cards' because they reach a national, and even an international audience," said Postmaster General John Potter in dedicating the stamp. "They focus attention on subjects our country regards with respect and affection, and that is certainly true of Mother Teresa, who believed so deeply in the innate worth and dignity of humankind and worked tirelessly on behalf of the poor, sick, orphaned and dying," Potter said. "That's why today I am so very proud that our country, after making her an honorary citizen in 1996,
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