Biography
Mother Teresa was born (1910) Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, she was an Albanian-Indian Catholic nun and founder of the Missionaries of Charity, dedicated to serving “the poorest of the poor.” At 18, she joined the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland and soon moved to India, where she taught at St. Mary’s School in Calcutta before receiving her “call within a call” in 1946 to serve the destitute. In 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity, which grew worldwide, with thousands of nuns and branches caring for the sick, dying, orphaned, and abandoned. The order expanded to include brothers, contemplative branches, priests, and lay collaborators. Members take public vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and a special vow of service to the poor. Mother Teresa became a global symbol of compassion, receiving honors such as the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and despite severe personal struggles with faith – what the church calls a “dark night of the soul” – she persevered in her mission. She died in Calcutta on 5 September 1997, was given a state funeral in India, and soon recognized as a saintly figure. Pope John Paul II beatified her in 2003, and Pope Francis canonized her as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in 2016. Today she is honored as a patron of the Missionaries of Charity, World Youth Day, and the Archdiocese of Calcutta. Collect