Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, was one of the most influential and revered figures in the Indian church. She is known for her dedication, love, and selflessness, for providing relief to the poor and needy, and for setting up several charities worldwide to help different groups of people.

Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia. She grew up in a devout Catholic family and, at a young age, realized that she would be a professional nun for life, changing her name to Teresa after the name and spirit of the most famous French nun of the 19th century, Saint Teresa. She entered the Order of the Sisters of Loreto at the age of 18 and began her missionary career in Calcutta, India.

Mother Teresa initially taught in the charity school of the Calcutta Church, but with East Pakistan's independence from India in 1947, Calcutta was flooded with tens of thousands of refugees, and infectious diseases such as cholera and leprosy broke out in the streets. Mother Teresa soon saw the great suffering caused by poverty and disease. This gave her the idea to start an organization dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged people. She asked headquarters for permission to do good as a free nun and for a community and a place to live. In October 1950, Mother Teresa and 12 other nuns founded the Missionaries of Charity. In August 1952, the Hospital for the Dying was officially established. In 1959, the Missionaries of Charity set up two more such shelters in New Delhi and Lanci.

When Mother Teresa died of heart disease in 1997, the Indian government gave her a state funeral, which only presidents and prime ministers are entitled to. The mourning and remembrance of her is not limited to Catholics but spread all over the world. She leaves behind 4,000 convent nuns, more than 100,000 volunteers, and 610 charity workers in 123 countries who are active after her death. Her deeds and concern for human beings are an inspiration to people worldwide.

The spirit and mission conveyed by Mother Teresa live on through the countless people they have influenced and helped. The nun's charitable work was expanded by the Missionaries of Charity, an organization she founded. The organization is dedicated to helping the poor, homeless, abandoned, sick, and children. Thanks to the efforts of Mother Teresa, the Missionaries of Charity and related institutions have established hundreds of shelters, rehabilitation centers, orphanages, and medical facilities around the world.

Mother Teresa's love and devotion to the poor made her an object of public admiration around the world. In church and on international platforms, she inspires and influences the world with her compassionate and caring gestures. She emphasized that everyone can change the world through good deeds and generous giving.