Mother Teresa, born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia (then part of the Ottoman Empire), began her life as a devout Catholic in a modest but deeply religious Albanian family. Her father, a successful businessman, passed away when she was just eight years old, leaving her mother to raise her and her siblings. Despite the hardships, her mother instilled in her the values of compassion and charity, encouraging her to care for the less fortunate.

At the age of 12, Anjezë felt her first calling to serve God and others, inspired by stories of missionaries and their work in India. By the time she turned 18, her commitment had solidified. She left her family and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish Catholic congregation known for their missionary work in India. After a period of training in Dublin, she traveled to India in 1929, where she officially became a novice.

In 1931, Anjezë took her first religious vows and chose the name “Teresa” after Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, the patron saint of missionaries. She began her career as a teacher at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta, where she taught history and geography. However, the extreme poverty surrounding her in the streets of Calcutta deeply moved her.

In 1946, during a train journey to the Himalayan foothills, she experienced what she later described as a “call within a call.” Teresa felt God calling her to leave her life in the convent and work directly with the poorest of the poor. This pivotal moment marked the beginning of her journey to serve humanity in its most vulnerable state.

In 1948, with permission from the Catholic Church, she left the Sisters of Loreto and ventured into the slums of Calcutta wearing a simple white sari with a blue border—the now-iconic attire of the Missionaries of Charity. With no resources of her own, she relied on donations and her unwavering faith to help those suffering from hunger, illness, and abandonment.

Mother Teresa’s work gained recognition over time, inspiring others to join her mission. In 1950, she officially founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation dedicated to serving “the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society.”

From her humble beginnings in Skopje to her transformative work in the slums of Calcutta, Mother Teresa’s journey epitomizes a life of selfless service and love. Her legacy continues to inspire millions worldwide to live with compassion and make a difference, no matter how small the effort may seem.

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