Mother Teresa passed away in Kolkata on September 5, 1997, at the age of 87. In her memory, September 5 was established as the International Day of Charity.
Image: PTI
Let’s take a look at the life of the Roman Catholic nun known for helping the poorest and sickest communities worldwide.
Mother Teresa was born as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Uskup in the Ottoman Empire (now Macedonia).
Image: Mother Teresa Charitable Trust
At the age of 18 in 1928, she joined the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland and a few weeks later sailed for India.
Image: Mother Teresa Charitable Trust
On May 24, 1931, Mother Teresa took her initial vows as a nun in Calcutta, India.
She taught at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta from 1931 to 1948, but the poverty she saw outside made her devote herself to the cause outside the convent walls.
Image: Mother Teresa Charitable Trust
Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata in 1950 after gaining Indian citizenship a year prior.
Image: Mother Teresa Charitable Trust
She worked tirelessly for decades for the betterment and upliftment of the orphaned, the poor and the sick.
Image: Mother Teresa Charitable Trust
Over her lifetime, Mother Teresa was honoured with numerous awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and the Bharat Ratna in 1980.
On September 4, 2016, Pope Francis-I canonised her as Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
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