Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun and missionary who devoted her life to the service of the poor and the sick. She founded the Missionaries of Charity and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Early Life and Education

Mother Teresa was born as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in 1910 in Skopje in the Ottoman Empire. She was of the Albanian descent.

She was a member of a devout Catholic family. She decided to become a missionary at the age of twelve.

She joined the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland in 1928 and took the name Teresa. She was sent to India and taught at the school in Calcutta.

The Mission in Calcutta

Mother Teresa experienced what she called the call within the call in 1946. She felt the calling to serve the poorest of the poor.

She left the convent in 1948 and lived among the poor of Calcutta. She founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950.

She opened the home for the dying at Kalighat in 1952. The home provided the care for the people who had no one to look after them.

She opened the orphanages and the leprosy clinics and the schools. The order grew and the houses were established throughout the world.

The Recognition

Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She refused the ceremonial banquet and gave the money to the poor.

She received the Bharat Ratna and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was awarded the honours from many countries.

She met the leaders and the famous people of the world. She used the fame to promote the cause of the poor and the dying.

She was a controversial figure because of the criticism of her methods. The critics questioned the quality of the medical care and the source of the funds.

The Later Years and the Legacy

Mother Teresa suffered from the ill health in her later years. She resigned as the superior general of the order in 1997.

She died in 1997 in Calcutta. She was buried in the mother house of the Missionaries of Charity.

She was beatified in 2003 and canonised in 2016. She is known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta.

Her letters revealed the long period of the spiritual darkness. The letters describe the crisis of the faith that she experienced.

The Founding of the Order

Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950. She left the convent and lived among the poor of Calcutta.

She opened the home for the dying at Kalighat in 1952. The home provided the care for the people who had no one to look after them.

She opened the orphanages and the leprosy clinics and the schools. The order grew and the houses were established throughout the world.

The Recognition and the Criticism

Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She refused the ceremonial banquet and gave the money to the poor.

She received the Bharat Ratna and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was awarded the honours from many countries.

She was a controversial figure because of the criticism of her methods. The critics questioned the quality of the medical care.

The Later Years

Mother Teresa suffered from the ill health in her later years. She resigned as the superior general of the order in 1997.

She died in 1997 in Calcutta. She was buried in the mother house of the Missionaries of Charity.

She was beatified in 2003 and canonised in 2016. She is known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta.

The Legacy and the Memory

Her letters revealed the long period of the spiritual darkness. The letters describe the crisis of the faith that she experienced.

She is remembered for her service to the poorest of the poor. The order that she founded continues the work throughout the world.

She is one of the most famous of the modern religious figures. The debate over her legacy continues.

The Early Life and the Vows

Mother Teresa was born in Skopje in 1910. She was of the Albanian descent and the family was devoutly Catholic.

She joined the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland in 1928. She took the name Teresa and was sent to India.

She taught at the school in Calcutta for many years. She experienced the call within the call in 1946.

The Spiritual Darkness

The letters of Mother Teresa revealed the long period of the spiritual darkness. She described the crisis of the faith and the feeling of the absence of God.

The revelations surprised the public who had seen her as a model of the faith. The letters were published after her death.

She continued her work despite the darkness for the rest of her life. The perseverance is seen as a sign of her devotion and the strength of her faith. She described the feeling of the separation from God and the doubt, and the letters show the human struggle beneath the public image.

See also

• Missionaries of Charity
• Nobel Peace Prize
• Calcutta
• Catholic Church