SAINTS CORNER - The Servant to the Sick: The Story of Mother Teresa

Hey! It's Julia! In school, we are learning about people who promoted peace. It's pretty obvious that we started out with Mother Teresa because she won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born on August 26, 1910. She was the youngest child in her family. When she was eight years old, her father died. When she was eighteen, she went off to Ireland to join the Sisters of Loreto. She had a great devotion to Saint Therese of Lisieux, so she became Sister Mary Teresa. After making her first vows, she was sent to Calcutta, India, to teach at Saint Mary's Girls School. On September 10, 1946, Mother Teresa boarded a train to attend a retreat. It was on the train that she received her "call within a call". That call was what drove Mother Teresa to her mission: serving the poorest of the poor in Calcutta. But she was not there yet.

Almost two full years passed, and Mother Teresa waited and waited for permission to leave the convent. There had never been religious sisters on the street before. It was a hard decision for Mother Teresa's superiors, but she was allowed to go serve the poor. On August 17, 1948, sporting a white sari with blue stripes, she entered the chaotic streets of Calcutta, India. At first, she worked with some medic sisters, but felt her call stronger in the slums. So, in December, Mother Teresa began what she is known for. She began each day with communion, and then set out for the slums, bearing a rosary like a sword. Soon, her old students from Saint Mary's began to come help her serve the poor.

In October, 1950, the Missionaries of Charity began. There was now a new order that did what Mother Teresa was doing. They were caring for the dying on the street, giving medicine to those who could be saved, and praying with her patients.

Soon, the world began to notice the little nun running around India, helping the sick the best they could. She received two awards: The Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and the Indian Padmashri Award in 1962. By 1997, 4,000 members of the Missionaries of Charity worked in 610 places in 123 countries!

On September 5, 1997, Mother Teresa went to see God. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II, who she had met, and was canonized by Pope Francis in 2016.

Mother Teresa, PRAY FOR US!