The Hidden Histories of Newark: Why We Painted Mother Teresa
3 min read
Oct 27, 2025
Every mural tells a story — this one starts with a letter from 1981.
On a quiet corner of Norfolk Street, a new mural now watches over the neighborhood — calm, radiant, and filled with meaning.
It’s a portrait of Mother Teresa, hands folded in prayer, surrounded by soft tones of blue and white.
When we started painting it, a few neighbors paused to ask:
“Wait… Mother Teresa was connected to Newark?”
The question is fair — few people know the answer.
But yes, she was.
A letter that changed a city
Back in 1981, Mother Teresa wrote a letter to the Archbishop of Newark, expressing her wish to open a home for the poor through her order, the Missionaries of Charity.
The request was simple but profound: she wanted her sisters to serve the people of this city — the hungry, the forgotten, the ones who needed care the most.
That letter became the start of something beautiful.
Not long after, a small group of Missionaries of Charity arrived in Newark and began their work quietly, humbly, without fanfare.
For more than forty years, they’ve continued that mission — feeding, sheltering, and comforting people in need.
No press, no spotlight. Just love in action.
Why we painted her
When we at By Gomes began restoring parts of Norfolk Street with color, murals, and public art, we wanted each wall to mean something.
We didn’t want to decorate — we wanted to honor stories that already belonged to the community.
Mother Teresa’s story felt right.
She wasn’t from Newark, but she believed in Newark — enough to send her sisters here, to serve quietly for decades.
Painting her image here, just steps away from where neighbors live, work, and walk their dogs, felt like bringing that spirit of care back into public view.
It’s not just a mural — it’s a thank you.
Compassion as architecture
We often talk about building homes, buildings, or neighborhoods.
But there’s another kind of construction — one made of empathy, kindness, and shared purpose.
The Mother Teresa mural is part of that architecture.
It reminds us that compassion can be just as foundational as concrete or steel.
At Gomes Group, we see development as more than walls and windows — it’s about shaping a place where people feel seen, connected, and supported.
Public art helps make that possible.
A story worth remembering
Next time you walk by 58 Norfolk Street, look up.
You’ll see her — eyes lowered, hands together, painted across brick that’s now part of Newark’s growing art landscape.
And behind that image, you’ll also see a story that has quietly lived here for decades:
one of service, faith, and love for the community.
Because in Newark, every wall has a story —
and this one happens to begin with a letter from 1981.
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