Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa

Saint Mother Teresa is perhaps the greatest human being who has ever lived in this world. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in October 2003. She had only one aim in life, to serve the poor, the destitute, the needy and all those who were dejected by the society. She founded an institution, known as 'The Missionary of Charity' to help her in fulfilling this aim.

As per her life history, Mother Teresa was born as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on 26th August 1910. At the young age of twelve, Agnes started to feel disinterest in the worldly affairs. By the age of eighteen, she was determined to become a nun and left her home to join the Convent of Our Lady of Loreto in Dublin. She undertook the name Teresa in the year 1931 and at the same time, she took her vows. She came to Calcutta in the year 1937 and joined St. Mary's High School. It was here that she fully comprehended her true calling in life, which was to serve the needy and rejected people of the society. To help her in attaining her goal in life, Mother Teresa wanted to start a diocesan congregation. However, for this she required the permission of the Vatican. The permission came in 1950 and thus was born 'The Missionary of Charity'. In 1965, she was awarded a Decree of Praise by Pope Paul VI and with this, she received the permission to expand her order to other countries. Today, the Missionaries of Charity boasts of 4,000 nuns and branches in 133 countries of the world. She was awarded the Noble Peace Prize in the year 1979. She accepted the prize as a representative of the 'poorest of the poor'. Mother Teresa breathed her last on September 5, 1997, leaving behind a legacy of love and sacrifice.

Mother Teresa's work has been recognized and acclaimed throughout the world and she has received a number of awards and distinctions. She described a "simple path" to peace, saying that the fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, and the fruit of service is peace.