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Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Beatified - October 19, 2003 Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia and joined the Sisters of Loreto in 1929. She took the name Teresa after Saint Therese of Lisieux, patroness of the Missions. The order sent her to India where she served as a teacher for many years. Moved by the great needs of the people and following Christ's call, she petitioned and received permission to leave her convent and work among the poor of Calcutta. In 1950, she founded a religious order called the Missionaries of Charity: "Like Jesus, we belong to the world, living not for ourselves but for others. The joy of the Lord is our strength." In 1971, Mother Teresa was awarded the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize and in 1972 received India's Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding. In 1979, she received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her contributions to the world. Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997. She had told others that, "The work is God's work and He will see to it." The Missionaries of Charity has grown from 12 sisters in India to over 3,000 missionaries in 517 missions in 100 countries around the world continuing God's work with the poor. |
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