Mother Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu was an Indian-Albanian Catholic nun and missionary. Born on 26th August 1910 in Skopje, she was baptized a day later. Later, she considered 27 August, the day she was baptized as her “true birthday”. She lived in Skopje for 18 years. Post that, she moved to Ireland and then to India. In India, she lived most of her life. Her parents were Nikollë and Dranafile Bojaxhiu (Bernai). She was the youngest child of her parents. Her father died when she was just 8 years old.
In her early years, she was fascinated by stories of the lives of missionaries and their service in Bengal. By age 12, she was certain that she should commit herself to religious life in the service of others. Her purpose strengthened on 15 August 1928 when she prayed at the shrine of the Black Madonna of Vitina-Letnice. It was the place where she often went on pilgrimages.
Mother Teresa dedicated her life to serving the poor, sick, and destitute around the world. She spent many years in Calcutta, India where she founded the Missionaries of Charity. It was a religious congregation devoted to helping those in dire need. In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She became a symbol of charitable and selfless work. In 2016, Mother Teresa was officially declared by the Roman Catholic Church as Saint Teresa.
Mother Teresa’s quote from her book No Greater Love (1)
In 1983, Mother Teresa had a heart attack in Rome. 6 years later, she had another heart attack. Therefore, after that, she received an artificial pacemaker. At the age of 87, Mother Teresa lived her last breath. She died on September 5, 1997. Her health had been deteriorating for several years. She had many ailments including heart, lung, and kidney problems.
Teresa has been considered one of the greatest individuals who lived for a higher purpose. Her devotion and commitment towards the people of the world are remarkable to date!