INFOBOX

Field	Details
Name	Mother Teresa
Caption	Biography of Mother Teresa
Image
Birth Name	Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu
Birth Date	26 August 1910
Birth Place	Skopje, Ottoman Empire
Height	Approx. 5 feet (152 cm)
Death Date	5 September 1997
Death Place	Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Resting Place	Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity, 54A AJC Bose Road, Kolkata, India
Nationality	Albanian (by ethnicity)
Citizenship	Ottoman Empire (at birth) Yugoslavia (as Skopje became part of it later) India (after settling and becoming a naturalized citizen in 1948)
Other Names	Saint Teresa of Calcutta
Education	Loreto Abbey, Rathfarnham, Dublin, Ireland – Religious training and English Loreto Convent, Darjeeling, India – Novitiate (spiritual training and teaching) Received religious formation and training as a nun under the Sisters of Loreto
Alma Mater	Sisters of Loreto Abbey, Dublin, Ireland (Religious training) Loreto Convent, Darjeeling, India (Novitiate and early service)
Occupation	Catholic Nun Missionary Social Worker Founder of the Missionaries of Charity
Years Active	1929 – 1997 Started her service in India in 1929 Founded Missionaries of Charity in 1950Continued humanitarian work until her death in 1997
Known For	global symbol of humanitarian service, love, and peace.
Notable Works	Founding the Missionaries of Charity (1950) Nirmal Hriday (Home for the Dying), Kolkata Shishu Bhavan (Children's Home) Leprosy Centers Global Expansion of Missionaries of Charity Books and Sayings
Parents	Father: Nikollë Bojaxhiu Mother: Dranafile Bojaxhiu
Relatives	Sister: Aga Bojaxhiu Brother: Lazar Bojaxhiu

Mother Teresa, born as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, was a Catholic nun and missionary who devoted her entire life to serving the poor and destitute. Her unshakeable compassion, humility, and selfless service earned her worldwide admiration and led to her canonization as a saint.

Early Life of Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was born as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on 26 August 1910 in Skopje, a city that was then part of the Ottoman Empire (now in North Macedonia). She belonged to a devout Albanian Catholic family. From an early age, she was deeply influenced by her mother’s religious faith and compassion for the poor. After the sudden death of her father when she was just eight years old, her family's financial condition worsened, but her mother raised her with strong Christian values. At the age of 18, Anjezë felt a strong calling to serve God and humanity. She left her home in 1928 and joined the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin, Ireland. There, she learned English and began her journey toward becoming a missionary. Soon after, she was sent to India, where she began her novitiate in Darjeeling in 1929 and took her first religious vows in 1931, choosing the name “Teresa” in honor of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.

Mission in India

Mother Teresa began her career as a teacher at Loreto Convent School in Kolkata (then Calcutta), where she taught for many years. However, in 1946, she experienced a “call within a call” — a profound inner voice urging her to leave the convent and live among the poor to serve them directly. After receiving permission from church authorities, she left the convent in 1948 and stepped into the slums of Kolkata wearing a simple white cotton sari with a blue border.

Founding Missionaries of Charity

In 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation committed to serving “the poorest of the poor.” The organization started with only a few members but grew rapidly. It opened homes for the dying, orphanages, leprosy centers, and schools. One of the first and most well-known centers was Nirmal Hriday (Pure Heart), a hospice for the terminally ill.

Global Impact

Under Mother Teresa's leadership, Missionaries of Charity expanded globally. By the time of her death, the organization was active in over 130 countries, with thousands of nuns and volunteers running schools, clinics, shelters, and hospices. Her dedication to human dignity and love transcended caste, religion, and nationality.

Awards and Honours 

Mother Teresa received numerous national and international awards in recognition of her lifelong service to humanity, especially the poor and the sick. 

Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, awarded for her work in promoting peace and alleviating human suffering. She humbly declined the customary banquet associated with the award and requested that the prize money be used to support the poor.

 In India, she was honored with the Padma Shri in 1962 and later the Bharat Ratna in 1980, the nation’s highest civilian award. 

She also received the Order of the Smile in 1996, awarded by children to people who show extraordinary love and care.

 Internationally, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the United States in 1985 and many other honors from various governments and institutions across the world. These accolades recognized her unwavering dedication, compassion, and tireless humanitarian efforts that transcended borders, religions, and cultures.

Death and Canonization

Mother Teresa passed away on 5 September 1997 in Kolkata. She was mourned worldwide, and her funeral was conducted with state honors in India. In 2003, she was beatified by Pope John Paul II, and on 4 September 2016, she was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta by Pope Francis.

Famous Quotes

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
“If you can't feed a hundred people, feed just one.”
“Peace begins with a smile.”

FAQs for Competitive Exams

What was Mother Teresa’s birth name? ➤ Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu

When and where was she born? ➤ 26 August 1910, Skopje (now in North Macedonia)

Which organization did she found? ➤ Missionaries of Charity (1950)

When did she receive the Nobel Peace Prize? ➤ 1979

When was she declared a saint? ➤ 4 September 2016

Where did she die? ➤ Kolkata, India, 5 September 1997