New Delhi: Mother Teresa is well-known today for her charity efforts; via the Order of Missionaries, she helped the sick, the impoverished, the hungry, and the dying. Among her hundreds of accomplishments and awards are a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and Pope Francis’ canonisation in 2016. However, since the 1990s, she has become a divisive figure, with some questioning the legitimacy of her principles and generosity. Let us look closer at Mother Teresa’s life and work, revealing some surprising facts about her.
Mother Teresa in her congregation “Missionary of charity” (Photo credit: Jean-Claude FRANCOLON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Mother Teresa Birth Anniversary: Lesser-known facts about her
Early life
She was born on August 26, 1910, to a Kosovar Albanian family in Skopje, Ottoman Empire (now North Macedonia’s capital). She was baptised in Skopje the day after her birth. She later considered August 27, the day of her baptism, her “true birthday.”
Her original name was Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, but she is best known as Mother Teresa. She had two siblings named Aga and Lazar Bojaxhiu.
Her family was Albanian, and her father, a moderately successful merchant, died when she was eight. After his death, the family struggled financially, but her mother instilled in young Agnes the value of living a Christian life and serving the less fortunate.
Agnes first felt called to become a nun and devote her life to God when she was 12 years old. She left her home at 18 to join the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish Catholic order with missions in India. She received training near Dublin, where she began learning English, before departing for Kolkata (then known as Calcutta), India, in late 1928. She took her first vows as a nun in May 1931 and was named Teresa, after Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Mother Teresa rose to prominence after taking her final vows in 1937.
Devoted her life to God at the age of 12
Mother Teresa’s Biblical calling came early; she was determined to devote her life to God at age 12. She grew up in a devout Catholic home and witnessed her mother’s charitable acts for those in need. Inspired by her faith’s strength, Mother Teresa devoted her life to helping others.
Many Nationalities
While much of Mother Teresa’s charitable work originated in India, she considered herself multi-national. Her family was Albanian, and she was born in Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, Skopje, which was still part of the Ottoman Empire in 1910. Following her charity activities in India, she obtained Indian citizenship. When asked about her nationality, she said, “By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, I am Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the heart of Jesus.”
First Job
Mother Teresa’s first missionary assignment was to St Mary’s High School in Calcutta, where she taught young children. However, she was not provided with any supplies or equipment. Instead, she taught her students by writing in the mud with wooden sticks, using whatever resources she could find.
Missionaries of Charity
Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation with over 4,500 nuns in 133 countries (as of 2012). The congregation operates homes for people dying from HIV/AIDS, leprosy, and tuberculosis. It also operates soup kitchens, dispensaries, mobile clinics, child and family counselling programmes, orphanages, and schools. Members take chastity, poverty, and obedience vows and profess a fourth vow: to give “wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor.”
Mother Teresa holds up a baby while attending the National Right to Life convention (Photo credit: Bettmann / Getty Images)
Taught about hygiene
During her work in the slums, Mother Teresa taught young people about hygiene and helped them with basic reading and writing skills.
Awards
Mother Teresa has received over 120 accolades and awards, some during her lifetime and others after. These include the Padma Shri (1962), the Ramon Magsaysay Peace Prize (1962), the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding (1969), the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971), the Pacem in Terris Award (1976), and the Nobel Peace Prize (1979).
No to Nobel banquet
Despite receiving the Nobel Peace Prize worth approximately $192,000, Mother Teresa refused to attend a banquet in her honour. She requested the money be used to help provide for India’s poor and needy.
Mother Teresa, born on August 26, 1910, is known for dedicating her life to prayer and serving the poor. On her birth anniversary, let us look at some of the facts one should know about her. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
