Mother Teresa

A Catholic nun and missionary who dedicated her life to caring for the destitute and dying in the slums of Calcutta, India.

This biography of Mother Teresa helps you learn English through real historical stories.

born1910

died1997

nationalityAlbanian-Indian

known forFounding the Missionaries of Charity and caring for the destitute

fieldhumanitarianism and religion

Key Takeaways

She founded the Missionaries of Charity to care for the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India
She experienced a 'call within a call' to leave her convent and live directly among the destitute
She was awarded the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize for her selfless humanitarian work
She was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta by the Catholic Church after her death

Life Timeline

1910

Born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in Skopje

1928

Left home to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland

1929

Arrived in India and began her novitiate

1950

Founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta

1979

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

1997

Died in Calcutta, India

Biography Reading: Mother Teresa

background

Born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in 1910 in Skopje (now North Macedonia), she felt a strong calling to religious life from a young age. At 18, she left home to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland, learning English to become a missionary. The following year, she arrived in India, taking her vows as a nun and choosing the name Teresa. For nearly two decades, she taught at a convent school in eastern Calcutta, but she became increasingly disturbed by the widespread poverty and suffering she saw just outside the convent walls.

achievement

In 1946, while riding a train to Darjeeling, she experienced what she described as a "call within a call"—a divine inspiration to leave the convent and live among the poorest of the poor. After receiving official permission, she traded her traditional habit for a simple white cotton sari with a blue border. In 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation dedicated to caring for "the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society."

impact

Under Mother Teresa's tireless leadership, the Missionaries of Charity expanded globally, establishing hospices, orphanages, and leper colonies across the world. Her selfless devotion earned her international acclaim, culminating in the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. While she faced criticism from some who questioned her medical practices and absolute stance against abortion, her profound compassion left an indelible mark on the world. Following her death in 1997, she was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta by the Catholic Church, forever cementing her legacy as a universal symbol of unconditional love and humanitarianism.