Mother Teresa of Calcutta was a Roman Catholic nun and founder of the Missionaries of Charity. In 1979 she was awarded the most prestigious prize in the world, the Nobel Peace Prize, for her humanitarian work.  Her labor made her so worthy that, in reality, she gave honor to the prize, rather than the other way around!

Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born in 1910 to Albanian parents in Skopje, which at the time was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. (The city is now the capital of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.) When she was 18, she entered the Order of the Sisters of Our Lady of Loreto in Ireland. She trained in Dublin and in Darjeeling, India, before taking her religious vows in 1937. She took the name Teresa from Saint Teresa of Lisieux, the patron saint of foreign missionaries.

In September 1946, while riding in a train from Calcutta to Darjeeling to engage in 8 days of spiritual exercises, she received a divine calling from God "to serve Him amongst the poorest of the poor".

She served as principal of a Roman Catholic high school in Calcutta, and was moved by the presence of the sick and dying on the city's streets. In 1948 she was granted permission to leave her post at the convent and begin a ministry among the sick. That same year she became an Indian citizen.

In 1950 Mother Teresa and her associates were approved within the archdiocese of Calcutta as the Missionaries of Charity. The order was later recognized as a pontifical congregation under the jurisdiction of Rome. Members of the congregation take four vows on acceptance by the religious community. In addition to the three basic vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, a fourth vow is required pledging service to the poor, whom Mother Teresa described as the embodiment of Christ.

In 1952 Mother Teresa opened the Nirmal Hriday (Pure Heart) Home for Dying Destitutes in Calcutta. She and her fellow nuns took in dying Indians off the streets of Calcutta and brought them to this home to care for them during the days before they died, so that they might be able to die in peace and with dignity.

In serving the people abandoned by society, Mother Teresa put love into action. Her spirit of giving inspired many to follow her, and her work eventually expanded to many other parts of the world. Today over 5000 sisters, brothers, and volunteers run approximately 500 centers worldwide, feeding 500,000 families and helping 90,000 lepers every year.

In recognition of her efforts, Mother Teresa was bestowed many awards, including the Padma Shri award for distinguished service in 1962, The Pope John XXIII Peace Prize in 1971, the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997. Mother Teresa accepted all awards on behalf of the poor, using any money that accompanied them to fund her centers.

Mother Teresa was forced to scale back her activities in 1990 because of declining health. On March 13 1997, she stepped down as head of the order and Sister Nirmala was chosen to succeed her as leader of the Missionaries of Charity.

On September 5, 1997, at the age of 87, the best loved woman of the century passed away. Her funeral service was on September 13, 1997, the 51st anniversary of her receiving her divine mission from God.

Mother Teresa (1910 - 1997)

Maiden name: Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu

Place of Birth: Skopje, Yugoslavia (now Macedonia)

Residence: Calcutta, India

Biographical Highlights:

  1. •1928 - went to India and taught at a convent school in Calcutta

  2. •1937 - took her final vows

  3. •1948 - left the convent to work alone in the slums; received some medical training in Paris

  4. •1950 - the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresea's sisterhood) started

  5. •1952 - House for the Dying opened

  6. •1957 - the Missionaries of Charity started work with lepers and in many disaster areas of the world

  7. •1971 - awarded the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize

  8. •1979 - awarded Nobel Peace Prize

    Sildenafil accord 50 mg read homepage spice for erectile dysfunction; cialis peak effectiveness information kamagra oral jelly ebay, viagra pills for men price read full report kamagra nl betrouwbaar, can i take two tadalafil reputable resource how long before cialis work, tadalafil apomorphine troche helpful resources which insurance companies cover viagra. Liquid cialis buy suggested post kamagra 100 effervescent, tadalafil boots helpful page kamagra oral jelly afhalen, tadalafil 10mg cipla great post to read best prices levitra 20mg; how to get viagra prescription look at here now viagra pen. Erectile dysfunction doctors near me check sildenafil 50 mg bewertung; injectable medication for erectile dysfunction recommended resource site sildenafil cause constipation; cheapest viagra prices visit this weblink 10mg cialis daily, cialis black review company how to use viagra; cialis online no prior prescription about them cialis free trial 2018. Levitra cheap pills comments problems with erectile dysfunction, cialis dose for bodybuilding link sildenafil citrate online india; sildenafil chemist warehouse watch here sildenafil coupon cvs. Can you buy viagra online homesite sildenafil vs viagra. Cialis canadian explore on pfizer viagra. Images of viagra on this page smc for erectile dysfunction; tadalafil 20mg online web page whats viagra used for, kamagra oder viagra see page sildenafil time. Difference between cialis and tadalafil browse around these guys viagra for men online. Best way to order kamagra click to read more cialis models, what is sildenafil for main page generic sildenafil 100mg tablet, best price for viagra 100mg click to get info super viagra 440; hims review sildenafil look at this can lyrica cause erectile dysfunction; viagra vs generic viagra said sildenafil india; how often to take viagra go to my blog cialis buy online usa; is tadalafil generic for cialis their latest article erectile dysfunction fix, how well does sildenafil work explanation at tadalafil use for; get sildenafil prescription online read more african traditional viagra, beet juice for erectile dysfunction click best tadalafil price; viagra alternatives otc worth mentioning viagra 100mg for sale, sildenafil sandoz cena to improve giddy erectile dysfunction; levitra discount canada see here erectile dysfunction natural treatment. Alibaba tadalafil review go to generic viagra non prescription, cialis for daily use dosage this tadalafil doses; tadalafil 10mg price latest article where to get cialis online. Sildenafil walmart price article link what is viagra connect. Erectile dysfunction self-care basis ashwagandha viagra