Updated February 13, 2023
About Mother Teresa
As soon as we talk about humanity, kindness, devotion, or selflessness, the first name that comes to our minds is Mother Teresa. The catholic nun who devoted her entire life to the welfare of people is still in our hearts. Who was she, what did she do, and how did she contribute to Indian society? In this Essay on Mother Teresa you will see all the information about Mother Teresa. Let’s see.
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Early Life of Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa, birth name Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu was born in 1910. She was an Albanian and Indian nun who took birth in an Albanian family and was baptized after birth. Although she was born on the 26th, she considered the 27th (the day of baptism) as her true birth date.
When she was a teenager (12), Mary Teresa felt that god was calling her and was convinced that she would commit herself to a life of religion. This commitment was further strengthened in 1928 when she prayed at the shrine.
At the age of 18, Mary left her home and went to Ireland, where she joined the Sisters of Loreto. There she started learning English and wanted to become a missionary. After that, she never met her sister or mother in life.
The courageous catholic nun came to India in 1929 and started her practice in Darjeeling. There she started learning Bengali and began teaching at a nearby school. Mother Teresa took her religious vow in 1931 and solemn vows in 1937. At that time, she was teaching at the Loreto convent school and used the “mother” style of teaching. There, she served for approximately 20 years. Mary was selected as the headmistress by 1944, and she enjoyed teaching the kids, but at the same time, she was disturbed because of the spreading poverty in Calcutta. The situation due to the Bengal Famine of 1943 left such a deep impression on her that she couldn’t stop herself from serving.
In 1946, Mary Teresa visited Darjeeling, where her inner conscience called her to serve the poor people of India. In 1948, she took permission from the school to leave and dedicate herself entirely to the upliftment of affected people in the Calcutta slums. Teresa didn’t have any funds and depended on Divine Providence. Then she began an open-air school for the children. As the work was noble, she got immense financial support that expanded her scope of work.
In 1950, Mother Teresa introduced Missionaries of Charity and chose a white sari with two blue stripes.
Missionaries of Charity
In 1946, Mother Teresa experienced her call from her inner self and took a train from Calcutta to Darjeeling. It was an annual retreat, and while talking about it, she said that her order was to leave the convent and help those in need. She couldn’t break this faith and order of God.
According to Joseph Langford, Sister Teresa was slowly turning into Mother Teresa, but everyone was unaware of that.
So, finally, her work began in 1948, and she adopted Indian citizenship. She stayed in Patna for several years and attained medical training. Once her training was successful, she went to the slums and began her work. In Calcutta, Mother Teresa started a school. In the initial phase of 1949, she was joined by young women and started helping people who were hungry and poor.
The Prime Minister and other Indian officials soon recognized her noble efforts. Earlier, she experienced difficulty with food and supplies. She didn’t have any income and had to beg for the same. These hardships also led her to feel lonely and that she should return to the convent. But she kept fighting.
Slowly she received immense support and was able to help the poor, just like intended. Mother Teresa received several acclamations for her deeds, including the Balzan prize, Nehru prize, Pope John XXIII Peace prize, and Magsaysay and Templeton awards.
Her Death
In 1983, Mother Teresa had a heart attack. She was in Rome at that time, and when she received the second attack, she got a pacemaker. In 1991, she was in Mexico and caught pneumonia. Then in April 1996, she broke her collarbone due to a fall. After four months, she caught malaria and suffered from heart failure. In September, she died. But she is always in our hearts. In this Essay on Mother Teresa you got all the information about Mother Teresa.
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