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Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, Albania. She was a Catholic, and her mother took her to morning mass whenever possible. Her mother also took her along when she did charity work. Her father died when she was nine. At twelve she knew she wanted to be a nun. By eighteen, she knew she wanted to be a missionary in India. She always loved people in need. She had to go to Paris to join the Irish Order of the Sisters of Loreto. They were the nuns who served in India at the time. In 1928, she boarded a ship for India. On May 23, 1929, she became a novice and changed her name to Teresa, named after her favorite nun. On May 14, 1937, she took her finial, lifetime vows. She then became the principal at St. Mary's School. On August 16, 1948, she left the convent to begin her work on the streets of Calcutta. She started an informal school for the poor. She loved the children. People didn't like her at first. They wanted to close her home. The police commissioner said he would, if the people would continue to do her work. It stayed open. She founded an order of nuns dedicated to helping the poor and sick. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. On Friday, September 5, 1997, she died. She committed her life to the poorest of the poor, and the peaceful co-existence among the world.
"Let us greet each other with a smile, for a smile is the beginning of love." - Mother Teresa |
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