Mother Teresa
Who was Mother Teresa?
Albanian-Indian Catholic nun and missionary (1910–1997)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Mother Teresa (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, better known as Mother Teresa, was an Albanian-Indian Catholic nun and missionary who devoted her life to helping the poorest and most marginalized in society. She was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, which was part of the Ottoman Empire at the time. She came from a deeply religious Catholic Albanian family. At 18, she left her homeland to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland, eventually moving to India, where she spent most of her life working with the poor in Calcutta.
In 1950, Mother Teresa started the Missionaries of Charity, a religious group initially focused on helping the poorest residents of Calcutta's slums. Under her leadership, the organization grew greatly, working in over 133 countries by 2012. They ran homes for those dying from illnesses like HIV/AIDS, leprosy, and tuberculosis, and also operated soup kitchens, medical dispensaries, mobile clinics, orphanages, and schools. Members took traditional vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, plus a unique fourth vow to provide free service to the poorest of the poor.
Mother Teresa's humanitarian efforts earned her many international awards during her life. She received the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1962, the Templeton Prize, the Balzan Prize in 1978, and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She was also honored with India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 1980, and American awards like the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985 and the Congressional Gold Medal. Despite this recognition, her work faced criticism for the medical care and conditions in her facilities for the dying.
Mother Teresa passed away on September 5, 1997, in Kolkata, the city where she had spent decades helping others. The Catholic Church declared her a saint, naming her Saint Teresa of Calcutta on September 4, 2016, and her death anniversary is now her official feast day. Her life inspired many books, documentaries, and films, with her authorized biography by Navin Chawla published in 1992. In 2017, she was named co-patron of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta alongside St. Francis Xavier.
Before Fame
Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, born into a well-off Albanian Catholic family in Skopje, grew up with strong religious foundations that would later influence her life's work. Her father passed away when she was eight, so her mother raised her and her two siblings, keeping alive their Catholic beliefs and charitable activities at home.
At 18, inspired by tales of missionaries in Bengal, she decided to join the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish religious order with missions in India. After a short training period in Dublin, she went to India in 1929 and began working as a teacher at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta. Early on with the Sisters of Loreto, she taught geography and history and slowly became more aware of the severe poverty just outside her convent.
Key Achievements
- Founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950, which expanded to operate in over 133 countries
- Established homes for the dying, orphanages, and medical clinics serving the poorest populations
- Received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work
- Canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta by the Catholic Church in 2016
- Created a global network of over 4,500 nuns dedicated to serving marginalized communities
Did You Know?
- 01.She experienced what she called her 'call within a call' on 10 September 1946 while traveling by train to Darjeeling, when she felt God instructing her to work among the poorest of the poor
- 02.Before founding the Missionaries of Charity, she took a basic medical course to better serve the sick and dying in Calcutta's slums
- 03.She became an Indian citizen in 1951, officially making her Albanian-Indian
- 04.The blue and white sari she wore became so iconic that it was trademarked by the Missionaries of Charity in 2013
- 05.She opened her first home for the dying, Kalighat Home for the Dying, in a former pilgrim hostel donated by the City of Calcutta
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Nobel Prize in Peace | 1979 | for her work for bringing help to suffering humanity |
| Ramon Magsaysay Award | 1962 | — |
| Templeton Prize | — | — |
| Balzan Prize | 1978 | — |
| Pacem in Terris Award | — | — |
| Bharat Ratna | 1980 | — |
| Damien-Dutton Award | — | — |
| Presidential Medal of Freedom | 1985 | — |
| Congressional Gold Medal | — | — |
| Order of the Smile | — | — |
| Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding | 1969 | — |
| honorary citizen of the United States | 1996 | — |
| Albert Schweitzer prize | — | — |
| Pacem in Terris Award | 1976 | — |
| Congressional Gold Medal | 1997 | — |
| Padma Shri | — | — |
| Grand Order of Queen Jelena | — | — |
| National Order of Honour and Merit | — | — |
| honorary doctorate at the Laval University | 1986 | — |
| honorary doctorate from the University of Cambridge | — | — |
| honorary citizen of Zagreb | 1990 | — |
| honorary doctor of the University of Hong Kong | — | — |
| honorary doctorate from the University of Alberta | — | — |
| honorary doctor of the Jagiellonian University of Krakow | — | — |
| Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia | 1982 | — |
| UNESCO Prize for Peace Education | 1992 | — |
| Order of Merit | — | — |
| Order of the British Empire | — | — |
| doctor honoris causa from the University of Paris | — | — |
Nobel Prizes
Explore More
Famous People from Albania
Historical figures and notable individuals from Albania.
Born on August 26
Famous people who share this birthday.
Population of Albania
Historical population data and growth trends.
Population Pyramid of Albania
Age and sex distribution, 1950–2100.
Nobel Prizes in 1979
All Nobel Prize winners from 1979.