Why would a pilgrimage to Skopje be a success...
- Mother Teresa is known throughout the world by Christians, non Christians and non religious alike.
- In 1962, Mother Teresa received the Philippines-based Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding, given for work in South or East Asia.
- The 1969 documentary
Something Beautiful for God, which was filmed by Malcolm Muggeridge and his 1971 book of the same title. Muggeridge credits his meeting with Mother Teresa for his conversion to Catholicism.
- In 1971, Paul VI awarded her the first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize, commending her for her work with the poor, display of Christian charity and efforts for peace. She later received the Pacem in Terris Award (1976)
- The Nobel Peace Prize in 1979
- The United Kingdom and the United States each repeatedly granted awards, culminating in the Order of Merit in 1983, and honorary citizenship of the United States received on November 16, 1996.
- Universities in both the West and in India granted her honorary degrees. Other civilian awards include the Balzan Prize for promoting humanity, peace and brotherhood among peoples (1978), and the Albert Schweitzer International Prize (1975). (The above tics taken from
http://mother-theresa.blogspot.com/ Please go there for additional information on Mother Teresa)
The most compelling reason is probably that Mother Teresa is memorable, not only from her great works among the very least of us, but because Mother Teresa lived among us and we can still see and touch the great benefits of her work.
Now why Skopje?
Skopje, Macedonia's capital city, is the largest and most diverse city in the country. Skopje has been occupied by many different peoples since the beginning of time. This is evidenced by the several Byzantine churches and monasteries around the city, also by a few Roman sites, such as Scupi and Skopje's Aqueduct. (You can find more here:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Skopje#Learn )
Unlike the Pilgrimage to Santiago there is currently no governmental plan to establish an infrastructure to support a series of routes to Skopje. If properly marketed, considering Mother Teresa’s international popularity, it’s likely that such a plan could be put into play. A listing of inexpensive hostels can be found here:
http://hostels.bootsnall.com/