Mother Teresa (1910–1997) was a Catholic nun and missionary who dedicated her life to serving the poor, sick, and marginalized. Known for her compassion and selflessness, she became a global symbol of charity and humanitarian work. Born as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Skopje (now in North Macedonia), she devoted her life to helping those in need and founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation focused on aiding "the poorest of the poor."
Early
Life and Call to Service
- Mother Teresa grew up in a devout Catholic family and
developed a strong sense of faith and service from an early age.
- At the age of 18, she joined the Sisters of Loreto,
a Catholic religious order, and moved to India in 1929 to begin her
novitiate.
- She taught at St. Mary’s High School in Kolkata (then
Calcutta) for nearly two decades.
·
In
1946, during a train ride, she experienced what she described as a “call within
a call.” She believed God was asking her to leave the convent and serve the
poorest of the poor.
·
Founding
the Missionaries of Charity
·
In
1950, Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, which grew into
an international organization with thousands of members. The congregation
focused on providing care for the destitute, establishing homes for orphans,
leprosy patients, and the dying. Some of its most well-known centers were
located in Kolkata.
Mother Teresa devoted her life to helping others in a
variety of ways, including tending to the sick, comforting the dying, and
raising abandoned children. She started leprosy homes and hospices,
progressively spreading her humanitarian work throughout India and then other
nations.
Many people praised her modesty and unwavering resolve to serve those in need,
and her unselfish work received widespread acclaim.
Recognition
and Awards
Mother Teresa received numerous
honors for her work, including:
- The Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She accepted it
"in the name of the poor."
- The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian
award, in 1980.
- Several international awards recognizing her
contributions to humanity.
Canonisation and Death
On September 5, 1997, Mother Teresa died in Kolkata, India. She became a saint
in the Catholic Church in 2016 after Pope Francis declared her to be Saint
Teresa of Calcutta.
Legacy
The life of Mother Teresa is an example of unselfish love and service. Serving
individuals in need without bias, her organisation, the Missionaries of
Charity, is still active around the world. Millions are motivated to act with
humility and compassion by her legacy.