Mother Teresa is a name that has become synonymous with selfless service and unconditional compassion. Known as the “Saint of the Gutters,” she dedicated nearly her entire life to serving the poorest of the poor in the slums of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India. Her life remains a powerful testament to how a single individual, armed only with faith and a sense of purpose, can impact the entire world.
Early Life and “The Call Within a Call”
Born as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Skopje (modern-day North Macedonia), she felt a religious calling at the young age of 12. By 18, she left home to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland to become a missionary and learn English.
In 1929, she arrived in India. For nearly twenty years, she taught at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta. However, in 1946, during a train ride to Darjeeling, she experienced what she described as a “call within a call.” She felt that God was asking her to leave the convent and live among the poor, sharing in their suffering to help them.
The Founding of the Missionaries of Charity
After receiving basic medical training, Mother Teresa moved into the slums. In 1950, she received official permission from the Vatican to start her own order, the Missionaries of Charity.
The mission of the order was simple but daunting: to care for “the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society.”
Major Milestones of Service
Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Mother Teresa expanded her work rapidly:
- Nirmal Hriday (Home for the Dying): She opened a hospice in an abandoned Hindu temple where the destitute could die with dignity, according to the rituals of their own faith.
- Shanti Nagar (City of Peace): A specialized colony and leper asylum where those suffering from leprosy could receive treatment and work without social stigma.
- Orphanages: She established “Nirmala Shishu Bhavan” to care for homeless children and orphans.
Global Recognition and the Nobel Peace Prize
By the 1970s, Mother Teresa had become an international celebrity for her humanitarian work. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Characteristically, she refused the traditional Nobel banquet, asking that the funds ($192,000) be donated to the poor in India instead.
Challenges and Criticism
Despite her widespread acclaim, Mother Teresa was not without her critics. Some journalists and medical professionals questioned the lack of high-level medical care in her hospices, her stance on contraception, and the sources of some of her donations. Mother Teresa rarely responded to these criticisms, maintaining that her mission was not to build hospitals, but to provide a place where the “unwanted” could feel the love of God.
Canonization: The Journey to Sainthood
Mother Teresa passed away on September 5, 1997. Following her death, the Vatican fast-tracked her cause for sainthood.
- Beatification (2003): Recognized by Pope John Paul II after the first miracle (the healing of a woman with an abdominal tumor) was attributed to her.
- Canonization (2016): Pope Francis officially declared her Saint Teresa of Calcutta on September 4, 2016, after a second miracle involving the healing of a man with brain tumors was verified.
Mother Teresa: Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
| Birth Name | Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu |
| Date of Birth | August 26, 1910 |
| Order Founded | Missionaries of Charity (1950) |
| Major Awards | Nobel Peace Prize (1979), Bharat Ratna (1980) |
| Beatified | October 19, 2003 |
| Sainthood | September 4, 2016 |
Conclusion: A Legacy That Lives On
Today, the Missionaries of Charity continue Mother Teresa’s work with over 5,000 sisters active in 139 countries. Her life teaches us that the greatest poverty is not the lack of food, but the feeling of being unloved and abandoned. Her legacy encourages everyone to find their own “Calcutta”—the place where they can serve those in need in their own communities.