Mother Teresa – One Woman, One Mission

Mother Teresa was a great lady and known as “One Woman, One Mission” she had taken a big step to change the world. Mother Teresa (1910–1997) was a Roman Catholic nun who dedicated her life to helping the poor and poor around the world. Mother Teresa was a humanitarian. This means she did things to help out other people. Her entire life was fully devoted to helping the poor, the sick, the needy, and the helpless. Mother Teresa has bestowed with the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1979. And became a symbol of charitable, selfless work. 

Where did Mother Teresa grow up?

This luminous messenger of God’s love (Mother Teresa) was born in Uskub, Ottoman Empire on August 26, 1910. Uskub is now called Skopje and is the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. She was the youngest of the children born to Nikola and Drana Bojaxhiu. Her father was involved in Albanian-community politics in Ottoman Macedonia, died when she was eight and she was raised by her mother. Her birth name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu later it became famous as Mother Teresa after her great works and life achievements. Agnes grew up in the Roman Catholic Church and decided to devote her life to God at an early age. When she turned 18, Agnes joined the Sisters of Loreto to become a missionary to India. Before going to India, she had to learn English. She spent one year in Ireland learning to speak English at the Loreto Abby. A year later, She began her missionary work in Darjeeling, India. She learned the local language, Bengali, and taught at the local school. In 1931, she took her pledges as a nun and chose the name, Teresa. Teresa taught for several years becoming the headmistress at a school in eastern Calcutta in India.

Nunhood & Education

When she was twelve years old, she felt strongly the call of God. She wants to be a missionary to spread the love of Christ. Mother Teresa left her parental house at the age of eighteen. She followed the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community of nuns with missions in India. After a few months of training in Dublin she was sent to India, where on May 24, 1931, she took her initial pledges as a nun. Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta from 1931 to 1948. In 1948, the suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls made such a deep impression on her that she got permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and dedicate herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Mother Teresa had no funds, she relies on Divine Providence and began an open-air school for slum children. Shortly she was joined by voluntary helpers, and economic support was also forthcoming. This made it possible for her to increase the scope of her work.

One Woman, One Mission

Mother Teresa was the founder of the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic congregation of women dedicated to serving the poor. Mother Teresa was recognized as one of the 20th Century’s most prominent humanitarians. She was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in 2016. The primary objective of this mission was to look after people, whom nobody else was prepared to look after. Mother Teresa felt that serving others was a fundamental principle of the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Missionaries of Charity

Mother Teresa established a group within the Catholic Church called the Missionaries of Charity, in 1950. Mother Teresa explained the purpose of the Missionaries of Charity as an organization that would take care of the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the untouchables, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are ignored by everyone. Mother Teresa had some lofty goals. She herself was craving only a few years of the beginning, she accomplished some amazing things. Initially, when she started the Missionaries of Charity there were only 13 members. Now, the group has over 4,000 members who care for people all over the world.

Awards are given to Mother Teresa

• In 1971: The first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize and Kennedy Prize
• In 1972: The Nehru Prize for the promotion of international peace and understanding
• In 1975: Albert Schweitzer International Prize
• In 1979: The Nobel Peace Prize 
• In 1985: States Presidential Medal of Freedom
• In 1994: Congressional Gold Medal 
• In 1994: U Thant Peace Award 
• In 1996:  Honorary citizenship of the United States

Criticism of Mother Teresa

Notwithstanding this widespread admiration, Mother Teresa’s life and work have not gone without its disputes. In particular, she has drawn criticism for her vocal support of some of the Catholic Church’s more controversial doctrines, such as opposition to contraception and abortion.

When and How Mother Teresa Died

After several years of deteriorating health, including heart, lung, and kidney problems, Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997, at the age of 87. Mother Teresa’s death, the Vatican commenced the process of beatification, which is the second step on the way to canonization and sainthood. In October 2003, she was formally beatified by Pope John Paul II.

Legacy

After her death, Mother Teresa has remained in the public spotlight. For her consistent commitment to aiding those most in need, Mother Teresa stands out as one of the greatest humanitarians of the 20th century. She combined profound empathy and a fervent commitment to her cause with incredible organizational and managerial skills that allowed her to develop a vast and effective international organization of missionaries to help impoverished citizens all across the globe.

Despite the large scale of her charitable activities and the millions of lives she touched, she retained only the most humble conception of her own actions. Mother Teresa’s life in a characteristically self-effacing fashion. Mother Teresa stated that By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.

Interesting Facts about Mother Teresa

• She was on 26 August 1910, Uskup (now Skopje), Ottoman Empire (now the Republic of Macedonia) 
• She died on 5 September 1997, Calcutta, India 
• Mother Teresa nevermore met with her mother or sister again after leaving home to become a missionary. 
• Mother Teresa plays the role of Leader of Missionaries of Charity, Calcutta
• Albania’s international airport is named after her, the Aeroporti Nene Tereza. 
• In 1979, she has bestowed the Nobel Peace Prize. instead,  of the traditional Nobel honor banquet, she demanded that the funds for the banquet be donated to the poor of India. 
• She received numerous awards for all her charity work including the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Ronald Reagan.
• It takes around 9 years of service to become a full member of the Missionaries of Charity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Why was she given the name ‘Mother Teresa”?
Ans. After joining the Irish order sisters of Loreto, she was called “Sister Teresa” and become Mother Teresa after making the final vows.

Q2. How many awards did Mother Teresa Received?
Ans. She received so many awards including the Nobel Prize for Peace, Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Ronald Reagan, The first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize and Kennedy Prize, The Nehru Prize for the promotion of international peace and understanding, Albert Schweitzer International Prize, States Presidential Medal of Freedom, Congressional Gold Medal, U Thant Peace Award and Honorary citizenship of the United States.

Q3. At what Age did Mother Teresa die?
Ans. She died at the age of 87 on 5th September 1997.

Q4. In which year did Mother Teresa received the Nobel Prize?
Ans. In year1979, she received the Nobel prize for peace.