Mother Teresa's Former Assistant Killed In A Bar Brawl In Wales

Mother Teresa's former assistant died Saturday after being beaten in front of a pub in Swansea, Wales.

Mark Bloomfield, 54, died in the hospital after an assault on July 18, at the Full Moon Public House. South Wales Police believe the incident happened between 11:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m., and are looking for witnesses both inside and outside the pub.

Colin Thomas Payne, 61, is currently in custody, charged with causing grievous bodily harm. Two other people, a 21-year-old man and 50-year-old woman were previously arrested in connection with the incident, though they have been released. However, the two people are still under investigation.

mark bloomfield
Mark Bloomfield worked with Mother Teresa in India, and helped to stop the poaching of wild animals in Africa. South Wales Police Swansea and Neath Port Talbot

In a statement released by South Wales Police, Bloomfield's family said he "had built a legacy."

"As special assistant to Mother Teresa in Calcutta, he was an essential contributor to her mission and to those she cared for," Bloomfield's family said. "In India, he organized free cataract surgery camps and founded schools that gave rare access to education for girls. In Africa, he helped preserve wild game by introducing ultralight aircraft to combat the onslaught of poachers."

His family also said that his legacy of helping others will continue, as Bloomfield was a registered organ donor. He is survived by his mother and three siblings.

Bloomfield volunteered heavily with Mother Teresa in her work with the poor in India, and became one of her special assistants. Mother Teresa died in 1997 at the age of 87. In 2016, she was canonized by the Catholic Church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta.

One of Bloomfield's projects in India was helping to found a literacy-focused school for children. In 1997, he was able to provide Sister Mary Cresence in Motihari, Bihar with funds to open the school, which became the Free Schools World Literacy organization. The organization now has schools throughout India and even into Thailand.

"For [our first] three years, both financial and moral support came from Mark," Free Schools World Literacy says on its website. The site also says Bloomfield worked with others interested in increasing literacy to replicate the Free Schools model in Northern Thailand.

Police are still looking for information in connection with the attack that killed Bloomfield.

"My sincere condolences are passed to Mr. Bloomfield's family, after he sadly passed away as a result of his injuries," Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Darren George said in a statement.

"No matter how insignificant your information or content may seem, please do come forward as it could make all the difference to the investigation and to the victim's family," he added.

It is currently unknown what started the incident that led to Bloomfield's death.

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