Mother Teresa: A Detailed Biography

Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910–1997), born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu and commonly known as Mother Teresa, was the Albanian-Indian Catholic nun who devoted her life to serving “the poorest of the poor.” Founder of the Missionaries of Charity, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1979), and canonised saint (2016), she became one of the most admired — and later controversial — figures of the 20th century. This biography covers her childhood in Skopje, call to the slums of Calcutta, global expansion of her order, and complex legacy, as documented by the Vatican, the Nobel Prize Organisation, and the Missionaries of Charity.

Early Life in Skopje

Birth and Albanian Roots

Born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Skopje (then Ottoman Empire, now North Macedonia) to ethnic Albanian parents Nikola and Dranafile Bojaxhiu. Baptised the next day, she considered August 27 her “true birthday”, as documented by the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Call to Religious Life

At 18 she joined the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland and was sent to India in 1929. She took her first vows as a nun in 1931 and chose the name Teresa after Thérèse of Lisieux.

“Call Within a Call” (1946)

On September 10, 1946, while travelling by train to Darjeeling, Teresa experienced what she described as “the call within a call” — to leave the convent and serve the poorest of the poor in Calcutta’s slums, as recorded by the Mother Teresa Center.

Founding the Missionaries of Charity

In 1950 she received Vatican permission to start the Missionaries of Charity. Wearing the iconic white-and-blue sari, the sisters opened Nirmal Hriday (home for the dying) in 1952 and Shishu Bhavan (children’s home). The order grew to 5,000+ sisters in 139 countries, as documented by the Missionaries of Charity.

Global Recognition and Nobel Prize

Mother Teresa’s work attracted worldwide attention. She received the Padma Shri (1962), the first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971), and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Her Oslo speech famously said: “The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion”, as preserved by the Nobel Prize site.

Criticism and Controversy

Critics (including Christopher Hitchens) accused her of poor medical care, accepting donations from dictators (Duvalier, Keating), and promoting suffering as holy. Supporters argue she gave dignity to the dying when no one else would, as examined by the New York Times.

Personal Life and Spiritual Darkness

Mother Teresa never married and had no children. Her private letters (published posthumously) revealed decades of spiritual darkness — feeling abandoned by God — which she saw as sharing Christ’s passion, as documented by the Vatican.

Death and Canonisation

Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa died of heart failure on September 5, 1997, in Calcutta, aged 87 — one week after Princess Diana. Beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003 and canonised by Pope Francis on September 4, 2016, as **Saint Teresa of Calcutta**, as celebrated by the Catholic News Agency.

Death and Legacy

Mother Teresa’s Enduring Impact

The Missionaries of Charity continue her work in 139 countries. Her feast day is September 5. She remains one of the most admired women in Gallup polls and was voted “most admired person of the 20th century” in 1999, as documented by the Gallup.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mother Teresa

Why Is Mother Teresa Famous?

For founding the Missionaries of Charity and serving the poorest of the poor in Calcutta.

Was Mother Teresa Albanian?

Yes — ethnic Albanian, born in Skopje.

Where Was Mother Teresa Born?

Skopje (then Ottoman Empire), August 26, 1910.

What Is the Missionaries of Charity?

Religious order she founded in 1950 — 5,000+ sisters in 139 countries.

Did Mother Teresa Win a Nobel Prize?

Yes — Nobel Peace Prize 1979.

Was Mother Teresa Canonised?

Yes — Saint Teresa of Calcutta, September 4, 2016.

How Did Mother Teresa Die?

Heart failure on September 5, 1997, aged 87.