Mother Teresa (1910–1997), born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu; was a Roman Catholic nun who devoted her life to serving the poor and destitute ...
Mother Teresa (1910–1997), born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu; was a Roman Catholic nun
who devoted her life to serving the poor and destitute around the world. She
spent many years in Calcutta, India where she founded the Missionaries of
Charity, a religious congregation devoted to helping those in great need. In
1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and became a symbol of
charitable, selfless work. In 2016, Mother Teresa was canonised by the Roman
Catholic Church as Saint Teresa.
“It is
not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much
we give, but how much love we put in the giving.” - Mother Teresa.
Mother Teresa was born in 1910 in Skopje, the
capital city of Macedonia. Little is known about her early life, but at a young
age, she felt a calling to be a nun and serve through helping the poor. At the
age of 18, she was given permission to join a group of nuns in Ireland. After a
few months of training, with the Sisters of Loreto, she was then given
permission to travel to India. She took her formal religious vows in 1931 and
chose to be named after St Therese of Lisieux – the patron saint of
missionaries.
On her arrival in India, she began by working as a
teacher; however, the widespread poverty of Calcutta made a deep impression on
her, and this led to her starting a new order called “The Missionaries of
Charity”. The primary objective of this mission was to look after people, who
nobody else was prepared to look after. Mother Teresa felt that serving others
was a fundamental principle of the teachings of Jesus Christ. She often
mentioned the saying of Jesus.
“Love
cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action,
and that action is service” – Mother Teresa
She experienced two particularly traumatic periods
in Calcutta. The first was the Bengal famine of 1943 and the second was the
Hindu/Muslim violence in 1946, before the partition of India. In 1948, she left
the convent to live full-time among the poorest of Calcutta. She chose to wear
a white Indian sari, with a blue border, out of respect for the traditional
Indian dress. For many years, Mother Teresa and a small band of fellow nuns
survived on minimal income and food, often having to beg for funds. But, slowly
her efforts with the poorest were noted and appreciated by the local community
and Indian politicians.
“Whatever
you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me” – Mother Teresa
In 1952, she opened her first home for the dying,
which allowed people to die with dignity. Mother Teresa often spent time with
those who were dying. Some have criticised the lack of proper medical
attention, and their refusal to give painkillers. Others say that it afforded
many neglected people the opportunity to die knowing that someone cared.
Her work spread around the world. By 2013, there
were 700 missions operating in over 130 countries. The scope of their work also
expanded to include orphanages and hospices for those with terminal illnesses.
Mother Teresa never sought to convert those of
another faith. Those in her hospices were given the religious rites appropriate
to their faith. However, she had a very firm Catholic faith and took a strict
line on abortion, the death penalty and divorce – even if her position was
unpopular. Her whole life was influenced by her faith and religion, even though
at times she confessed she didn’t feel the presence of God.
The Missionaries of Charity now has branches
throughout the world including branches in the developed world where they work
with the homeless and people affected by AIDS. In 1965, the organisation became
an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI.
The article continues in Part 2.
Accredited to:
Pettinger, Tejvan. “Biography of Mother Teresa”,
Oxford, UK.
www.biographyonline.net, 18th May 2006.
(Updated September 2016)
Adopted and edited by Tapiwa Zuze
