Born in Skopje in today's Macedonia, Mother Teresa was a religious sister and missionary who spent most years of her life in India. She was born on August 26, 1910 and baptized on August 27. Since an early age of 12, she was attracted towards missionary work. At the age of 18, she left home and joined the Sisters of Loreto as a missionary. On May 24, 1931, she took her first religious vows as a nun. She taught at the Loreto convent school in Calcutta (Kolkata) and also served as its headmistress.
Major Accomplishments of
Major Accomplishments of
Mother Teresa
✦ In 1946, Mother Teresa received a divine message, possibly an intuition, after which she decided to devote her life to the betterment of society. In 1948, she started working with the poor. She soon became an Indian citizen and toured to different parts of India to uplift the downtrodden.
✦ In 1950, she was granted permission to establish the diocesan congregation, which would work for those, whom she described as "the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers and all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone". The congregation extended far and came to be known as the 'Missionaries of Charity', one of the very big organizations with centers all around the world.
✦ In 1952, she founded the first Home for the Dying in India. Later, she converted an unused Hindu temple into the Kalighat Home for the Dying. People from all religions were accepted into Kalighat, where they would receive medical attention and care. She soon opened a home for lepers in Shanti Nagar. In 1955, Mother Teresa went on to open the Nirmala Shishu Bhavan, a home for the orphaned and homeless children.
✦ The Missionaries of Charity established by Mother Teresa grew to reach different parts of India. It opened several orphanages and leper houses across India, and later, in different parts of the world. The first house of the Missionaries of Charity that was established outside India was the one in Venezuela, which was opened in 1965. By 2007, the Missionaries of Charity had established 600 missions, schools, and homes in 120 nations and had thousands of nuns working for it.
✦ 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.
✦ In 1971, she received the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize from Pope Paul VI.
✦ She was honored with the Pacem in Terris Award in 1976.
✦ In 1996, she received the honorary citizenship of the United States of America.
✦ For her struggle to overcome poverty and remove the sorrow and suffering from society, she was awarded the Noble Peace Prize. She selflessly donated an amount of $192,000 to India to be used for the uplifting of the poor in the country. According to her, rewards were important only if they would help her work for the helpless.
✦ 18 times during her life, the yearly Gallup's most admired man and woman poll named her as one of the ten women around the world that Americans admired most.
✦ In 1999, she topped the Gallup's List of Most Widely Admired People of the 20th Century.
✦ She was beatified in 2003. On beatification, she earned the title blessed, and came to be known as the Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.
✦ October 19, observed as Mother Teresa Day, is a public holiday in Albania.
✦ Memorial House of Mother Teresa was opened in 2009 in Skopje, Macedonia.
✦ Many universities and educational institutes in India have been named after her.
✦ On August 26, 2010, Indian Railways launched a train called "Mother Express" to commemorate her.
✦ In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly declared September 5 as the International Day of Charity to honor Mother Teresa.
Mother Teresa left for heavenly abode on September 5, 1997. She has always proved to be an epitome of humanity and continues to be admired by people the world over.
✦ In 1946, Mother Teresa received a divine message, possibly an intuition, after which she decided to devote her life to the betterment of society. In 1948, she started working with the poor. She soon became an Indian citizen and toured to different parts of India to uplift the downtrodden.
✦ In 1950, she was granted permission to establish the diocesan congregation, which would work for those, whom she described as "the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers and all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone". The congregation extended far and came to be known as the 'Missionaries of Charity', one of the very big organizations with centers all around the world.
✦ In 1952, she founded the first Home for the Dying in India. Later, she converted an unused Hindu temple into the Kalighat Home for the Dying. People from all religions were accepted into Kalighat, where they would receive medical attention and care. She soon opened a home for lepers in Shanti Nagar. In 1955, Mother Teresa went on to open the Nirmala Shishu Bhavan, a home for the orphaned and homeless children.
✦ The Missionaries of Charity established by Mother Teresa grew to reach different parts of India. It opened several orphanages and leper houses across India, and later, in different parts of the world. The first house of the Missionaries of Charity that was established outside India was the one in Venezuela, which was opened in 1965. By 2007, the Missionaries of Charity had established 600 missions, schools, and homes in 120 nations and had thousands of nuns working for it.
✦ 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.
✦ In 1971, she received the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize from Pope Paul VI.
✦ She was honored with the Pacem in Terris Award in 1976.
✦ In 1996, she received the honorary citizenship of the United States of America.
✦ For her struggle to overcome poverty and remove the sorrow and suffering from society, she was awarded the Noble Peace Prize. She selflessly donated an amount of $192,000 to India to be used for the uplifting of the poor in the country. According to her, rewards were important only if they would help her work for the helpless.
✦ 18 times during her life, the yearly Gallup's most admired man and woman poll named her as one of the ten women around the world that Americans admired most.
✦ In 1999, she topped the Gallup's List of Most Widely Admired People of the 20th Century.
✦ She was beatified in 2003. On beatification, she earned the title blessed, and came to be known as the Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.
✦ October 19, observed as Mother Teresa Day, is a public holiday in Albania.
✦ Memorial House of Mother Teresa was opened in 2009 in Skopje, Macedonia.
✦ Many universities and educational institutes in India have been named after her.
✦ On August 26, 2010, Indian Railways launched a train called "Mother Express" to commemorate her.
✦ In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly declared September 5 as the International Day of Charity to honor Mother Teresa.
Mother Teresa left for heavenly abode on September 5, 1997. She has always proved to be an epitome of humanity and continues to be admired by people the world over.
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