Mother Teresa
The name of Mother Teresa is not unfamiliar among us but a select few know about her in detail. Mother Teresa was born on August 10, 1910 in Uskub (Kosovo), her name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu and her parents were Nikollë and Dranafille Bojaxhiu. She lost her father at the tender age of 7. Slowly she developed a liking for the missionary life and the services and at the age of 12, she could feel that god is calling her. At the age of 18 years she left her parental home at Skopje and went to the Sisters of Loreto and joined them. The Sisters of Loreto was an Irish community of Nuns who had Missions in India. She was sent to Calcutta in India, where she taught in Saint Mary’s High School from 1931 to 1948. During her tenure she came in touch with the poverty and suffering of the people present outside, this moved the heart of Mother and forced her to ask for permission to work for them.
She got the permission from her superiors in the year 1948 and immediately she started working for the downtrodden and in the slum areas of Calcutta. There were no funds available to support her work, but she had faith on God. Slowly she was approached by few volunteers and helpers and financial situation also improved to enable her to widen the area of her work.
In the year 1950 Mother got the permission to start the Missionaries of Charity. In the year 1952 she established the ‘Home for the Dying Destitute’. Soon after that she started getting the volunteers and donations to support her cause. By 1960s she was able to open the branches of her hospices, orphanages and leper houses throughout the length and breadth of India. After the success of her order in India she started her venture abroad and opened the homes in many countries.
By the year 1970 she became well known in the international arena and admiration and recognition of work started. A book and documentary film was made on her and her work for the downtrodden. In the year 1969 she got the Jawaharlal Nehru Peace award, in 1971 she was awarded with Pope John XXIII peace prize, Kennedy Prize, 1972 saw her accepting honorary degrees from many Universities. In the year 1975 she was awarded Albert Schweitzer International Prize, Balzan Prize for Humanity, brotherhood and peace in 1979, in the same year she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and received Bharat Ratna in the year 1980.
In the Year 1985 she was awarded the United Sates Presidential Medal for Freedom and so on. Till her death her work and the service was continuously recognized by various governments and organizations.
Mother had a heart of gold and always filled with the pain of the sufferers and downtrodden.
After 1983 slowly her health started declining, she attempted to resign from her post in the year 1991 but faced very strong protests and forced to continue, but in the year 1997 she finally quit her post due to her declining health condition. She died on 5th September 1997.
