Mother Teresa – A Life of Service
Introduction: Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun and missionary who devoted her life to serving the poor and sick. Born in 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia, she founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950, a religious congregation dedicated to helping the most vulnerable members of society. Mother Teresa’s selfless work and dedication to helping others earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
Early Life
Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia. She grew up in a devout Catholic family and was inspired to become a missionary after hearing stories of the work of Jesuit missionaries in Bengal, India. At the age of 18, she left home to join the Sisters of Loreto, a Catholic religious order in Ireland.
Missionary Work
After several years of teaching in a Catholic school in Calcutta, Mother Teresa experienced a calling to serve the poorest of the poor. In 1948, she received permission from the Vatican to leave the Sisters of Loreto and form a new religious congregation, the Missionaries of Charity. She and her sisters worked in the slums of Calcutta, providing medical care, food, and shelter to those in need.
Legacy
Mother Teresa’s work and dedication to serving the poor and sick earned her worldwide recognition and admiration. She received numerous awards and honors, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. After her death in 1997, she was beatified by the Catholic Church and is now known as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.