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 Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Mother
Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997 ), Albanian-born Roman Catholic nun, founder
of the Missionaries of Charity, and Nobel laureate.
Originally named
Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, she entered the Order of the Sisters
of Our Lady of Loreto in Ireland at the age
of 18. She trained in Dublin and Darjeeling, India, before
taking her religious vows in 1937. While serving as principal
of a Roman Catholic high school in Calcutta, she was
moved by the presence of the sick and dying on
the city's streets. In 1948 she was granted permission to
leave her post at the convent and begin a ministry
among the sick. In 1950 Mother Teresa and her associates
were approved within the archdiocese of Calcutta as the Missionaries
of Charity. Later the order was recognized as a pontifical
congregation under the jurisdiction of Rome.
Members of the congregation
take four vows on acceptance by the religious community. Required
in addition to the three basic vows of poverty, chastity,
and obedience is a fourth vow pledging service to the
poor, whom Mother Teresa described as the embodiment of Christ.
In 1952 Mother Teresa opened the Nirmal Hriday ("Pure Heart")
Home for Dying Destitutes in Calcutta. Subsequently she extended her
work onto five continents. In recognition of her efforts she
was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She was
forced to scale down her activities in 1990 because of
declining health.
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