WINSLOW — The students at St. John Regional Catholic School in Winslow had the opportunity to learn about the life, love, and faith-filled service of Saint Teresa of Calcutta from a woman who experienced her mercy and kindness firsthand, according to a news release from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.

Respected author and EWTN host Susan Conroy visited with the St. John community on Tuesday, Nov. 15. The South Portland native made her first trip to Calcutta to work with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity in 1986, developing a friendship with Mother Teresa which lasted for years. Conroy chronicled those experiences in her first book “Mother Teresa’s Lessons of Love & Secrets of Sanctity.”

During her presentation in Winslow, Conroy reminded the students to always give “wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor,” a vow of the Missionaries of Charity, which was established in 1950 by Saint Teresa herself. Pope Francis declared her a saint of the Catholic Church on Sept. 4, 2016.

“Love is very important. Our world would be a mess without it, so we need to spread love everywhere,” said one seventh grader, according to the release. “The speech has given me inspiration to do nice things for people and express acts of kindness.”

“Saint Theresa had a big, loving heart,” said one first grader.

“It was heart filling,” said a fourth grader.

Conroy also asked the students to, like Saint Teresa, fill the needs of others through humble service, and if they questioned what they should be doing to love one another, they should turn to the same source Saint Teresa did.

“Pray…to know what Jesus wants us to do,” said a third grader.