Mother Teresa

Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, widely known as Mother Teresa, was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire. Raised in a devoutly Catholic family, she felt a calling to serve others from a young age. At eighteen, she moved to Ireland to join the Sisters of Loreto, marking the beginning of her lifelong commitment to missionary work.

Her journey took her to India, where she dedicated herself to the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. In 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation that grew to operate in over one hundred thirty-three countries by 2012. The organization focused on providing care for those suffering from HIV/AIDS, leprosy, tuberculosis, and other dire needs, establishing homes, soup kitchens, and schools.

Mother Teresa's remarkable contributions to society earned her numerous accolades, including the Ramon Magsaysay Peace Prize in 1962 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Despite her many honors, she faced criticism regarding the conditions in her facilities for the dying, sparking debates about the quality of care provided. Nevertheless, her life and work have inspired countless books, documentaries, and films.

On September 4, 2016, she was canonized by the Catholic Church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta, and her feast day is now celebrated on the anniversary of her death, September 5. Her legacy continues to resonate, as she was named a co-patron of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta alongside St. Francis Xavier in 2017.