Mother Teresa (1910–1997)

“Blessed” Teresa was a European Roman Catholic nun who dedicated her life to Christ through her service to the poorest of the poor. Her work began [Page 832]in the slums of Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, and eventually spread across the globe. She is considered by many to be a modern-day saint.

Mother Teresa was born Gonxha (Agnes) Bojaxhiu on August 27, 1910, in the city of Skopje, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire and now the capital of Macedonia. In 1928, when she was 17 years old, she entered the Sisters of Loreto, taking the name Teresa. After studying English in Ireland, she was missioned to Kolkata, where she served in a high school for 20 years, eventually becoming the principal. During this time, ...