Mother Teresa's real name was Agnes Gonzia Bojajev. She was born in 1910 in the town of Skopje, Macedonia. Her parents were of Albanian descent. Skopje was then part of the Ottoman Empire. Today it is the capital of Macedonia. Mother Teresa was a Roman Catholic. At the age of eighteen, she was inspired by her religious passion and entered the Order of the Sisters of Our Lady of Loreto, an Irish religious institution. She received her religious training in Dublin, Ireland, and in Darjeeling, India.
After taking religious vows in 1937, she took the name Saint Teresa of Le Sioux, who is considered the patron saint of foreign missionaries. While working at the Roman Catholic High School in Calcutta, Mother Teresa had the opportunity to observe the people there closely. The plight of the poor people of Calcutta had a deep impact on her heart and she made humanitarian service her life's mission, rather than just performing religious services. In 1948, she left the convent and sought permission to start a ministry among the destitute people of Calcutta, and upon receiving permission, she began her work.
In 1950, Mother Teresa and her companions were declared Missionaries of Charity under the Roman Catholic Church. Those who wanted to become part of Mother Teresa's organization had to take four vows. In addition to the basic vows of poverty, obedience, and celibacy, they had to take the fourth vow to dedicate their entire lives to serving the poor. In 1952, Mother Teresa founded an institution called Nirmal Heart (Pure Heart), the main objectives of which included treating poor patients. She brought patients who were hopeless about life to her institution, served them, and gave new life to many people who had been declared terminally ill by their doctors.
Mother Teresa's work was not limited to Calcutta or India, but spread to many parts of the world. In recognition of her services, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Mother Teresa continued to work continuously, but in 1990, declining health began to affect her performance. Despite this, she continued to perform her services, but in 1997, the situation reached such a point that the responsibilities of the institution could not be properly fulfilled, and Sister Nirmala took over the responsibilities of the institution in place of Mother Teresa.
Mother Teresa died in the same year. Her death was mourned all over the world and people came from all over the world to attend her funeral.
