The piece, composed by Genc Tukiçi, uses a poem written by Mother Teresa upon leaving her homeland to accept her call to ministry and was built off a motif composed by her cousin, Lorenc Antoni. Wethington was invited in 2023 to be the soprano soloist for the piece’s Albanian premiere commemorating the 20th anniversary of Mother Teresa’s beatification.
“The experience of performing this piece in Tirana and recognizing that St. Teresa continues to have a revolutionary impact on people’s lives today led me to create a program that celebrates her journey, her courage, and her faith,” Wethington told CNA in an interview.
The first half of the musical program focuses on Mother Teresa’s ministry to the sick and dying, and the belief that death is not the end but leads to something greater. The second half focuses on the saint’s earthly life — her childhood, her time in India, and her Catholic faith.
“The program is a combination of sacred and secular works that either place us in the physical location of her journey or highlight a part of her life from youthfulness to faithful struggle to global inspiration,” Wethington explained.
The soprano said she hopes “that people walk away from the evening recognizing that her message can impact our communities today, especially as we are surrounded by so much suffering.”
She added: “It’s tempting to place Mother Teresa on such a lofty pedestal that her impact seems beyond our reach. Her greatness didn’t spring from perfection, it grew from perseverance, faith, and relentless compassion in the face of overwhelming need.”
“Her most famous words ring like a challenge across the decades: ‘Small things done with great love will change the world.’ This isn’t mere sentiment, it’s a call to action,” Wethington said. “Her message was elegantly simple: love without condition, serve without pride, act without expecting reward. In doing so, she proved that even one gift, fully given, can transform the world. We can transform the world, too.”
Tickets to the performance in Washington, D.C., can be found here.
Francesca is a staff reporter for Catholic News Agency. She received her degree in Communications with an emphasis in Digital Media from the University of Colorado - Denver. She is also in charge of the social media for Catholic News Agency.
