Mother Teresa (1910–1997), born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu; was a Roman Catholic nun who devoted her life to serving the poor and destitute aro...
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.
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In the 1960s, the life of Mother Teresa was
brought to a wider public attention by Malcolm Muggeridge who wrote a book and
produced a documentary called “Something
Beautiful for God”.
In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for work undertaken in the struggle to
overcome poverty and distress, which also constitutes a threat to peace”.
She didn’t attend the ceremonial banquet but asked that the $192,000 fund be
given to the poor.
In later years, she was more active in western
developed countries. She commented that though the West was materially prosperous,
there was often a spiritual poverty.
“The
hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread” – Mother
Teresa
When she was asked how to promote world peace, she
replied; “Go home and love your family”.
Over the last two decades of her life, Mother
Teresa suffered various health problems, but nothing could dissuade her from
fulfilling her mission of serving the poor and needy. Until her very last
illness she was active in travelling around the world to the different branches
of The Missionaries of Charity. During her last few years, she met Princess
Diana in the Bronx, New York. The two died within a week of each other.
Following Mother Teresa’s death, the Vatican began
the process of beatification, which is the second step on the way to
canonization and sainthood. Mother Teresa was formally beatified in October
2003 by Pope John Paul II. In September 2015, Pope Francis declared:
“Mother Teresa, in all aspects of her life, was a
generous dispenser of divine mercy, making herself available for everyone
through her welcome and defence of human life, those unborn and those abandoned
and discarded. She bowed down before those who were spent, left to die on the
side of the road, seeing in them their God-given dignity. She made her voice
heard before the powers of this world, so that they might recognize their guilt
for the crime of poverty they created”.
Mother Teresa was a living saint who offered a
great example and inspiration to the world.
“Not all
of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love” – Mother
Teresa
Awards Given
to Mother Teresa
The first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971)
Kennedy Prize (1971)
The Nehru Prize –“for the promotion of
international peace and understanding”(1972)
Albert Schweitzer International Prize (1975),
The Nobel Peace Prize (1979)
States Presidential Medal of Freedom (1985)
Congressional Gold Medal (1994)
U Thant Peace Award 1994
Honorary Citizenship of the United States
(November 16, 1996)
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
