Mother Teresa was also known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in the Catholic Church. She was a Roman Catholic nun who devoted her life to serving the poor worldwide.
Nun and missionary Mother Teresa founded the Order of the Missionaries of Charity. This is a Roman Catholic congregation of women dedicated to helping the poor. Today, she is considered one of the 20th Century’s greatest humanitarians. She was awarded many honors for her work, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, and from then on, her legacy has continued with over 4500 nuns caring for people worldwide.
Mother Teresa Biography information
- Birth: Mother Teresa was born on August 26th, 1910
- Birthplace: Skopje, North Macedonia
- Parents: Nikola Bojaxhiu (mother) and Dranafile Bojaxhiu (father)
- Career/ profession: nun, teacher, and missionary
- Death: Mother Teresa died September 5th, 1997, aged 87, in Calcutta. She passed away after suffering cardiac arresting the Calcutta headquarters of her Missionaries of Charity
What is Mother Teresa famous for?
Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun and missionary. She is famous for her charitable works and for helping India’sia’s poor, hungry, and sick pe. She founded the Missionaries of Charity, which ran over 500 missions worldwide. Not only that, but she was canonized as a Saint by the Catholic Church in 2016.
Why did Mother Teresa change her name?
Mother Teresa wasn’t born with the name that made her famous. She was named Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu by her parents at birth. Most nuns get a new name to show their devotion to the church. Mother Teresa chose the name Mary Teresa after St Thérèse of Lisieux. She is the patron saint of missionaries, florists, and the sick.
Facts about Mother Teresa
- Mother Teresa was a Nobel Peace Prize winner. She won this prize in 1979 for her work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress in the world.
- Her father passed away when she was eight, and her mother taught her the value of caring for the sick and poor.
- She was canonized as a saint by the Vatican in 2016.
- Before India, she moved to Ireland to study English. This was the primary language used by missionaries.
- Teresa was named after Saint Therese of Lisieux. She was the patron saint of missionaries.
- Therese of Lisieux was also the patron saint of people living with AIDs. Mother Teresa helped these people throughout her life too.
- Mother Teresa wore a blue-edged white sari rather than the traditional clothing for a nun. This was because it was more practical for the hands-on nature of her work.
- In 2008, Pope Francis recognized that Mother Teresa performed a miracle. She allegedly healed a patient with brain tumors.
- Some people disagree that Mother Teresa should be a saint. They accuse them of baptizing dying people without their permission.
