The Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. popularly known as Mother Teresa was a Roman Catholic Religious Sister and Missionary of Albanian origin who lived in India for 49 years.
She founded the Missionaries of Charity, a catholic order of nuns dedicated to helping the poor. With a modest start in Calcutta (Kolkata). The Missionaries of Charity grew to help the poor, the dying, the orphans, lepers and AIDS sufferers in over a hundred countries across the globe. Mother’s selfless effort to help those in need has caused many to regard her as a model humanitarian.
She touched the lives of millions of unwanted people making them feel wanted, loved and cared for. She never discriminated and completely made use of her life to touch other people and make a difference.
Mother started as a one woman army with no money and no supplies trying to help the millions of poor people starving and dying that lived on the streets. Mother Teresa was always confident that God would help her and provide her with everything that was required.
At the age of 12, Mother began to feel the call to serve God as a nun. Deciding to become a nun she applied at the Loreto Order of Nuns based in Ireland with missions in India. Mother took her first vows as a Loreto nun on May 24th, 1931.
In December, 1948 Mother ventured into the slums of Kolkata to help the poorest of the poor with limited medical help and offering a smile to them. The Missionaries of Charity were established on October 7th, 1950. Mother opened a home for the dying called “Nirmal Hriday” on August 22nd, 1952.
On the 10th anniversary of the Missionaries of Charity they were given permission to establish houses outside of Calcutta (Kolkata) but within India. On the 15th anniversary they were given permission to establish outside India and the first house was established in Venezuela, 1965.
Mother was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and the Bharat Ratna in 1980. She never took personal credit for her accomplishments. When Mother died she left behind 4,000 Missionary of Charity Sisters in 610 centers in 123 countries.
The Vatican began the lengthy process of canonization. On October 19, 2003, the third of the four steps to sainthood was completed when the Pope approved Mother Teresa’s beatification, awarding Mother Teresa the title “Blessed“.
