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Of all the saints in modern history, I don’t think any of them were as popular and well-known as Mother Teresa of Calcutta, our missionary hero of today.
Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born on August 26, 1910 in Skopje, North Macedonia to Albanian parents. Though her father’s construction business allowed the family to live comfortably, all that changed when the father died when Agnes was 8-years old.
At the age of 18, Agnes, who had a long-time desire to be a missionary, left home and joined the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland. She received the name Mary Teresa after St. Therese of Lisieux. In 1929, Sr. M. Teresa left Ireland for Calcutta, India and made her first vows in May of 1931. In India, Sr. Teresa was assigned to a school for wealthy girls that the Loreto Sisters ran and taught history and geography.
Sr. Teresa made her final profession of vows in 1937, becoming a “spouse of Jesus.” She continued teaching at the school, St. Mary’s, and became the school’s principal in 1944. In religious life, Teresa was noted for her charity, hard work, joy, and organizational skills. As her life unfolded, these skills would produce amazing blessings for the world.
Though Mother Teresa was happy in her life as a Loretto Sister, one day she experienced what she described as a “call within a call.” It was on September 10, 1946 while she was traveling from Calcutta to Darjeeling for her annual retreat, when she experienced a strong, overpowering call from Jesus to serve the poorest of the poor.
So, that’s what Mother Teresa did. When she went back to Calcutta, she dressed in a white sari and sandals as the ordinary Indian women wore and soon made friends with neighbors to learn of their needs. She paid special attention to the poor and the sick. Soon, some of her former students joined her, and soon people began donating clothing, food, supplies, and the use of a building.
On October 7, 1950, Mother’s Teresa’s group of Sisters became the congregation of the Missionaries of Charity. The Sisters cared for the “unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for.” It did not matter what caste or religion the individual had, if they were in need, the Sisters treated them with all the dignity and respect they could provide.
In 1979, Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize for her missionary work for the poor of the world.
In time, Mother Teresa founded orders for Brothers, priests, and lay persons. By 1997, Mother Teresa’s order had nearly 4,000 Sisters serving in 610 foundations in 123 nations of the world.
On September 5, 1997, Mother Teresa died, and she was given a state funeral by India.
Pope Francis canonized Teresa on September 2, 2016. Saint Teresa of Calcutta’s feast day is September 5th.
Of all the many quotes attributed to St. Teresa of Calcutta, here are 3 I share with you:
- Peace begins with a smile;
- Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless;
- Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
2 Comments
My favorite saint and mentor. For years before her death, I followed her life’s works. She is most blessed. Thank you for honoring her memory.
Hello Father Bob. Your story about Mother Teresa brought me memories of my mother. She was also born on August 26 and felt a special bond with Mother Teresa. She even saw her in person at her parish church in New Jersey when Mother Teresa visited there. My mother led other women in her parish who knit hats for the babies in Mother’s orphanage. She would send them to India and always received a thank you note from them, some even signed by Mother Teresa herself. My mom passed a few years ago but my sister still has all the letters she received, as well as the many books about Mother Teresa that my mom loved to read. Thanks for the story.
God bless you.
Nancy DiFeo, Leland, NC