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Profiles of Faith: St. Teresa of Calcutta

Posted on

Feast Day:

September 5

Patronage:

World Youth Day and  Missionaries of Charity

About St. Teresa of Calcutta:

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Macedonia. She became a postulant with the Loretto sisters in Ireland at age 18, from there she was sent to India where she would make her final profession.

While she taught at a school in Calcutta, she felt a “call within a call” to leave the convent and serve the poor. She said, “ I was to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them. It was an order. To fail would have been to break the faith.”

Mother Teresa took off her shoes, changed into a sari, and began teaching children in the slums and caring for the dying.

Mother Teresa’s ministry attracted many young women. A new congregation formed. In 1950 Pope Pius XII approved the Order of the Missionaries of Charity.

Mother Teresa expanded her missions to every continent. In 1979, she received the Nobel Peace prize. Despite worsening health, Mother Teresa pursued and grew her congregation and missionary outreach to 123 countries.

In July 1997, she returned to her Motherhouse and died in September. She was beatified on 2003 and we are happy to announce her canonization on September 4 th!

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