09/05/2026
If you ask anyone to name a role model for selfless service to the poorest of the poor, the list includes St. Teresa of Calcutta, honored by the Church today, September 5.
Born in North Macedonia in 1910, she joined the Sisters of Loreto as a teenager and was sent to India in 1929 to teach history and geography. In 1946, she received a calling from Jesus to "follow Christ into the slums to serve him among the poorest of the poor."
St. Teresa left the Sisters of Loreto, established the Missionaries of Charity, and opened a school for poor children. For more than 40 years, she continued to work tirelessly on behalf of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. By 1997, the Missionaries of Charity served 123 countries and grew to include 1,000 sisters, brothers, and priests.
During her life, St. Teresa experienced a feeling of separation from God and spiritual darkness, often called the "dark night of the soul." This aspect of her life is not as well known as her missionary work, but it is why she is remembered as a patron saint for doubters.
St. Teresa of Calcutta died in 1997. She was canonized on September 4, 2016, by Pope Francis and is recognized as the patron saint of doubters, missionaries, and the Archdiocese of Calcutta.
Many beautiful quotes are attributed to St. Teresa, including: "The fruit of silence is prayer. The fruit of prayer is faith. The fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is service. The fruit of service is peace."
St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us!
