CARY, NC (WTVD) -- Having met the late Mother Teresa, her canonization holds special meaning for Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Raleigh Diocese.
"When we say there are saints walking in our midst, there indeed are," said Bishop Burbidge, who spent the momentous day at Green Hope High School in Cary.
Long time parishioner, Susan Higgins, said she helped found Saint Michael of the Archangel Catholic Church in Cary. She, as well as many in the area, have been watching at the Catholic community has been growing.
READ MORE: Pope Francis Declares Mother Teresa a Saint
For the past 16 years, Green Hope High School's auditorium, has been playing host to the overflow crowd of Saint Michael.
The crowd on Sunday shows that even this space has become too small over the years. Some people even had to wait outside the auditorium because the space exceeded maximum capacity. So, over the past year, parishioners say Bishop Burbidge approved that the community there be given official status as a Mission of Saint Michael the Archangel.
This status means they have approval to start raising money to build their own parish on land recently purchased by the Diocese of Raleigh, in west Cary.
"Prayers have been answered," said Higgins.
Bishop Burbidge then asked the community to recommend a name. They chose Mother Teresa Catholic Mission, and when they became a full parish, Mother Teresa Catholic Church.
"This community here, this faithful with whom I gather here today are known, as are so many missions, parishes throughout our dioceses for a tremendous outreach to the hungry, to the sick, the needy in our midst," said Bishop Burbidge.
David Gurecki is the director of music at the mission. He said the name is a testament to all of the work volunteers put in to make mass happen at Green Hope High School.
"We're just so thrilled that with the canonization of Mother Teresa, it's a special sort of embodiment of the spirit that we have," said Gurecki. "We're looking to the future to help make it grow even more."