As part of the artistic process, Joe read about St. Teresa and was moved by her dedication to the poor and her humility. One story, in particular, guided the creation of this one-of-a-kind statue.
Notice the feet of our St. Teresa. The feet are disfigured. Mother Teresa lived with the people she served, the poorest of the poor. People would donate their old shoes to the sisters and Mother Teresa let the sisters choose from the piles of worn shoes, then she would pick up whatever was left, and no matter the size or condition, she would wear the shoes until they disintegrated. Her sturdy feet became deformed through this sacrifice.
As the artists sent proofs to Joe, he would guide the fine details, and toward the end of the process, Mother Teresa’s face was lacking the depth of wrinkles and seemed younger than the image we sent. Joe stated, “Perhaps Mother Teresa is intervening and saying to us, ‘I want to look a little younger when everyone is visiting my statue…please, not so many wrinkles, squinty eyes and thin lips’ “…what woman (or man) would not want that!” 😉