Kolkata: Mother Teresa's seventh death anniversary today (Sep 5, 2004) was marked by a series rallies and prayers, including special Mass in her memory following the Vatican's waiver of the ban on personal Mass for her on a Sunday.

Mother House, the global headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity, received a steady stream of visitors who attended the early morning Mass and stayed on to pray at her tomb.

The All-India Minority Forum organised an inter-faith prayer meeting at her tomb, where representatives of various religions called for world peace and prayed for the victims of Friday's shoot-out between the security forces and terrorists at Beslan in Russia's Caucasus region.

Speaking at the prayer meet, chairman of West Bengal Human Rights Commission Shyamal Sen recalled Mother Teresa's work among the poor and the downtrodden and said her missionary zeal in serving humanity was the need of the hour when inhuman activities of terrorists were causing untold pain and suffering the world over. While thanking Pope John Paul-II for expediting Mother Teresa's beatification, which took place last October, Forum president Idris Ali called upon the pontiff to use his office in declaring her a Saint without waiting for evidence of another miracle.

Ali said the poor in the metropolis did not have access to proper medical care and called upon the West Bengal Government to set up a hospital in Mother Teresa's name as she had spent her life working for the sick and the dying. He also demanded that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation name Park Street after her and have her statue installed at a suitable spot along the road.