09/05/2026
St. Teresa of Calcutta, known worldwide as Mother Teresa, is one of the most recognizable saints of modern times. Her life of radical charity and service to the poorest of the poor continues to inspire people of all faiths and backgrounds.
Named Agnes at birth in 1910, she grew up in Skopje in North Macedonia. She felt called to religious life and joined the Sisters of Loreto, later traveling to India, where she taught at a school in Calcutta for two decades. She became known as a dedicated teacher and later served as the school’s principal.
In 1946, as she traveled by train, she experienced what she later described as a “call within a call.” She felt Jesus inviting her to leave the convent school and serve Him among the poor and destitute in the streets of Calcutta. After a period of discernment and approval from Church authorities, she left the Sisters of Loreto and began her new mission.
Four years later, she founded the Order of Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation devoted to serving “the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers.” The sisters lived among the poor, offering care and support with dignity, love, and spiritual comfort.
One of her most significant works was establishing a home for the dying destitute called Nirmal Hriday (Pure Heart), where those who had been abandoned on the streets were given care, companionship, and the opportunity to die with dignity. Mother Teresa often described this work as “doing something beautiful for God.”
Although she experienced prolonged periods of spiritual dryness, she remained faithful to her mission and exemplified compassion and joy in serving the most vulnerable. As her global recognition grew, she received numerous honors. She was a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Yet she was humble, pointing attention away from herself and toward Christ present in the suffering.
St. Teresa of Calcutta died on September 5, 1997, and was canonized in 2016. Beginning with twelve recruits, her Missionaries of Charity grew to five thousand nuns and 450 priests serving in 138 countries worldwide.
https://ewtnmission.com/dailysaint/st-teresa-of-calcutta/
