Mother Teresa

She was born to a modest family as Agnes Gonxha Bajaxhiu and became known to the world as Mother Teresa. She was a woman of small stature, but she had big dreams. She wanted to change the world, one person at a time. She was a savior to thousands and was recognized for her gentle demeanor, her advocacy for human rights, and her work with the poor. Her faith was tireless. She was an unselfish woman whose biggest goals were based on the simplest commitment of giving.

Mother Teresa was born on August 26th, 1910. As the youngest child of an Albanian family, she grew up in Skopje, Macedonia. When she was only eight years old her father passed away. At age 12 she knew in her heart that she wanted to be a missionary. At the young age of 18 she left her home and joined the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary located in Ireland. The name Sister Mary Teresa was a name she choose after St. Therese of Lisieux. Several months later she set out to Calcutta, India to join her missionary sisters there.

She took her first vows as a nun and then began teaching at a school for girls called St. Mary’s. Until 1948, Mother Teresa taught in Calcutta. In 1944 she became the principal of the school. It was during this time she entered into the final progression of her vows and she became Mother Teresa. She was known to be joyful, loving, and unselfish. She focused on hard work and organization.

In 20 years of her tenure in India she witnessed the most profound poverty and suffering. While riding a train to Darjeeling from Calcutta, she felt a calling from God. She knew she had to go among the poorest of the poor to help bring Christ nearer to the slums. She knew she had to leave the life of the convent and live among the poor to help them. She wanted to establish a community dedicated to the service of others.

Her daily costume for the rest of her life was a white sari trimmed in blue. Day after day she visited many families in the slums. She took time to nurse those who were weak form hunger and those who had tuberculosis and were dying. For the destitute children she began an outdoor school. Her focus was to give the poor back their dignity. As time went on, people from all over the world began to join her in her cause. She was often acknowledged for her incredible sacrifice.