St. Mother Teresa

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St. Mother Teresa, born in 1910 in present-day North Macedonia, was a Catholic nun and missionary known worldwide for her work with the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India. She founded the Missionaries of Charity and dedicated her life to serving the sick, dying, and abandoned. Her humility, compassion, and unwavering faith made her a global symbol of Christian charity. She died in 1997 and was canonized in 2016.

St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, in what is now North Macedonia, was one of the most iconic and beloved figures of the 20th century. From a young age, she exhibited a deep sense of compassion, a strong religious faith, and a desire to serve others. She was the youngest child in a devout Albanian Catholic family, and her early years were marked by both the warmth of family love and the sorrow of losing her father at age eight.

At the age of 18, she left her home to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland, where she took the name Sister Mary Teresa, after St. Thérèse of Lisieux. From there, she was sent to India, where she took her final vows and began teaching at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta. Although she was comfortable and respected in her position as a teacher, she felt a growing spiritual call—a "call within a call" as she described it—to leave the convent and work directly with the poorest of the poor.

In 1948, with permission from the Vatican, she left the Sisters of Loreto to begin a new ministry. Dressed in a simple white sari with a blue border, she stepped into the slums of Calcutta with nothing but faith and determination. There, she began to care for the sick, the dying, and the destitute—people no one else would help. She taught children, cleaned wounds, and provided dignity to the suffering, often in the most desperate conditions imaginable.

In 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity, an order devoted to serving "the poorest of the poor." What began as a small group of dedicated women grew into a global organization with thousands of sisters, brothers, and lay volunteers operating homes and missions across the world. The Missionaries of Charity provided services including hospice care, orphanages, food kitchens, and shelters, reaching people of all faiths and backgrounds.

Mother Teresa became internationally known for her extraordinary acts of love and service. She received numerous awards during her lifetime, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Despite her widespread acclaim, she remained humble and lived a life of simplicity and prayer. Her letters and journals, later published, revealed a profound spiritual depth and a long period of interior dryness and spiritual struggle, which she endured with remarkable faith and trust in God.

Even as she aged and her health declined, she remained active in her mission until the final years of her life. She passed away on September 5, 1997, at the age of 87, at the Mother House in Calcutta, where she had lived and served for nearly five decades.

Her beatification in 2003 and canonization in 2016 by Pope Francis recognized not only her personal holiness but also her embodiment of the Gospel's call to serve the least among us. She is often quoted for her wisdom, simplicity, and spiritual insight, reminding people that even small acts done with great love have immeasurable worth.

Today, St. Mother Teresa is honored around the world as a patron of the poor, a model of humility, and a witness to the power of love in action. Her feast day is celebrated on September 5, the anniversary of her death. Her life remains a testament to the dignity of every human being and the transformative power of charity rooted in faith.

Feast Day

5-9-

Birth Date

26-8-1910

Died Date

5-9-1997

Canonised Date

4-9-2016

Kolkata, India

"Saint Mother Teresa, You devoted your life to serving the poor and the needy, teach us to see the face of Christ in everyone we meet. Grant us the grace to be humble, compassionate, and loving, as we follow your example of selfless service. Intercede for us, that we may grow in faith and love, and spread kindness and peace wherever we go. Amen."
ST. MOTHER TERESA

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ST. MOTHER TERESA

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