Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun and missionary. She is renowned for her work among the poorest of the poor.
She joined the missionary order of the Sisters of Our Lady of Loreto in Ireland in 1929. As headmistress of a school, she frequently visited the slums to console the sick and the poor, and to teach the children. Above all, she campaigned for the dignity of every human being. She is a worldwide model of kindness, altruism, unconditional love and dedication.
In the course of her life, Mother Teresa created an orphanage, a hospital, a school, homes for lepers, homes for people with AIDS, and so on. Her actions echoed across cultures and religions. Indeed, at the time of her death, the 4,000 sisters of her congregation were spread across 610 foundations in 123 countries.
-
1910: Mother Teresa is born on August 26, in Macedonia.
-
1931: On taking her temporary vows, Anjezë Gonxha Bojaxhiu officially takes the name Mother Teresa, in reference to Thérèse of Lisieux.
-
1931: For several years, she teaches in a school in Calcutta.
-
1937: She takes her final vows on May 24, in India.
-
1944: She becomes Director of Studies at a school for the upper social classes in Calcutta.
-
1946: While traveling by train, Mother Teresa receives a call from God, which she calls "the call within the call". The idea of founding her own congregation was born.
-
1950: Leaving her congregation to follow her own path, she founded the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity on October 7.
-
1979: The missionary received many awards in her lifetime. The most notable was the Nobel Peace Prize, which she received on October 17.
-
1982: During the siege of Beirut, Mother Teresa ordered a ceasefire by the Israeli and Palestinian armies and, accompanied by the Red Cross, crossed the battlefield to free 37 children trapped in a hospital.
-
1997: She died on September 5, in India.
-
2003: Pope John Paul II beatifies Mother Teresa on October 19.
-
2016: Pope Francis canonizes Mother Teresa on September 4, 2016.