BY: MIRANDA LLAMA & XIMENA HUITRÓN 202

MOTHER TERESA DE CALCUTTA

WHO WAS SHE? • This luminous messenger of God’s love was born on 26

August 1910 in Skopje, a city situated at the crossroads of

Balkan history. The youngest of the children born to Nikola

and Drane Bojaxhiu, she was baptised Gonxha Agnes,

received her First Communion at the age of five and a half

and was confirmed in November 1916. From the day of her

First Holy Communion, a love for souls was within her.

• Mother Teresa was an Albanian Roman Catholic nun and

citizen of India.

WHO WAS SHE?

• During the last years of her life, despite increasingly severe

health problems, Mother Teresa continued to govern her

Society and respond to the needs of the poor and the

Church. By 1997, Mother Teresa’s Sisters numbered nearly

4,000 members and were established in 610 foundations in

123 countries of the world. In March 1997 she blessed her

newly-elected successor as Superior General of the

Missionaries of Charity and then made one more trip

abroad.

• On September 5 1997, Mother Teresa’s earthly life came to

an end. She was given the honour of a state funeral by the

Government of India and her body was buried in the

Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity.

WHAT DID SHE DO? • In 1952, she founded the first Home for the Dying in India.

Later, she converted an unused Hindu temple into Kalighat

Home for the Dying. People from all religions were

accepted.

• She soon opened a home for lepers in Shanti Nagar.

• In 1955, Mother Teresa went ahead to open the Nirmala

Shishu Bavan, a home for the orphan and homeless

children.

• The Missionaries of Charity established by Mother Teresa

continued growing to reach different parts of India. It

opened several orphanages and leper houses across India,

and later, in different parts of the world.

WHAT DID SHE DO?

• In 1962, Mother Teresa was awarded the Padma Shri,

followed by the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International

Understanding in 1972 and the Bharat Ratna in 1980. She

was honored with the Philippines-based Ramon Magsaysay

Award for International Understanding in 1962.

• For her struggle to overcome poverty and remove the

sorrow and suffering from society, she was awarded the

Noble Prize for Peace. She selflessly donated an amount of

$192,000 to India to be used for the upliftment of the poor

in the country. According to her, rewards were important

only if they would help her work for the helpless.

WHI DID SHE INSPIRED US?• We think that she was a really good person and a great

example for the humanity to show goodness, kindness,

solidarity, and helping others. She gain the respect of all

the world and earned the privilege to be forever

remembered.

• She did a lot of things to help the society and she was

always seeking for peace and harmony among others.

• We think that in present days we are missing someone like

her to help others, prevent war and stop poverty, between

other situations.

• We think that is very difficult to win a place in the history

like she did, with all her compassionate actions.

• She represents benignity and fondness.

WHY SHE INSPIRED US?• She was honored by all the state of India, but not only

them, she was and still honored and remembered all

around the world. For example if you died today, well only

family members and friends will go to your funeral. But

Mother Teresa, had a state funeral, most of all the

population of India went to her funeral and this very

important funeral was organized by the Government of

India. That is very huge, is something that you had to be

very proud of, and well she really deserved it, to be

memorized like she was and like she still is.

SOURCES

•http://www.vatican.va/news_ser

vices/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20

031019_madre-teresa_en.html

•http://www.buzzle.com/articles/

accomplishments-of-mother-

teresa.html