In 1950, Mother Teresa established the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation that was initially dedicated to serving "the poorest of the poor" in the slums of Calcutta.
Mother Teresa is a Roman Catholic saint who was a Nobel laureate known for her missionary work with the poor in India. She founded the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic congregation of women dedicated to the poor, and she was canonized as a saint in 2016.
Mother Teresa was a person of profound prayer and deep love for her religious sisters and her students, and her twenty years in Loreto were filled with remarkable happiness.
Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Uskup, Ottoman Empire (now Skopje, North Macedonia), on . Her family was of Albanian descent. At the age of twelve, she felt strongly the call of God. She knew she had to be a missionary to spread the love of Christ.
Mother Teresa left a testament of unshakable faith, invincible hope and extraordinary charity. Her response to Jesus’ plea, “Come be My light,” made her a Missionary of Charity, a “mother to the poor,” a symbol of compassion to the world, and a living witness to the thirsting love of God.
Discover the inspiring life story and enduring legacy of Mother Teresa, a renowned Catholic nun dedicated to serving the poor and sick. Explore her early years, the foundation of the Missionaries of Charity, and her global impact on humanitarian efforts.
St. Teresa of Calcutta is the patron saint of World Youth Day, Missionaries of Charity and a co-patron of the Archdiocese of Calcutta, alongside St. Francis Xavier.