Mother Teresa Biography
Mother Teresa (26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, was a Catholic nun of Albanian[2][3] ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India in 1950. For over 45 years she ministered in her own way to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries. Following her death she was beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.
In the 1970s, she became well-known internationally for her controversial work considered humanitarian and apparent advocacy for the rights of the poor and helpless. Malcolm Muggeridge documented this favourably and wrote a book Something Beautiful for God, Christopher Hitchens claims Muggeridge was "credulous" and even mistook an innovative photographic film for a divine miracle. Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity continued to grow during her life-time, and at the time of her death, they had 610 missions in 123 countries, including hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children's and family counselling programs, orphanages, and schools. Governments, charity organisations and prominent individuals have been inspired by her work. She received numerous awards, including a number from the Indian Government, one of which was the Bharat Ratna (1980), as well as international awards, such as the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
Mother Teresa has not been without her critics, however, including prominent atheist Christopher Hitchens who believes her reputation is misguided and due to people failing to examine what she actually did. Other critics are cultural critic Michael Parenti, Indian-English physician Aroup Chatterjee and the World Hindu Council (Vishva Hindu Parishad). They accuse her of proselytizing, failing to provide accounts which Hitchins could have audited and which would have allowed donors to investigate how their money was used, allowing her hospice to be primitive and run down despite obtaining vast sums of donated money which could be used to build, for example a new teaching hospital in Calcutta. Mother Teresa is further accused of strongly opposing contraception and abortion, believing in poverty's spiritual goodness and alleged 'secret baptisms of the dying'. though the baptism may not have valid according to Roman Catholic teachings.
In 2010 on the 100th anniversary of her birth, she was honoured around the world, and her work praised by Indian President Pratibha Patil though some people are unsure if she did more good or more harm.
Important Dates in the life of Mother Teresa
1910, Aug 26: Born Gonxha Agnes Bojaxhiu in Skopje (present-day Macedonia).
1910, Aug 27: Baptised
1922-1923: At age 12, feels first call to religious life.
1928, Sep 25: Leaves home to become a Roman Catholic Loreto nun and begins novitiate training in Dublin. Takes the name Sister Teresa.
1929: Arrives in Kolkata, becomes a teacher at St Mary's School.
1931, May 25: Takes her first vow as a nun.
1937: Takes final vows as a nun, becomes known as Mother Teresa.
1946, Sep 10: On a train to Darjeeling, receives 'the call within the call' to serve the poor.
1948: Starts teaching poor children, opens her first slum school. Shifts to 14, Creek Lane.
1950, Oct 7: Founds the Missionaries of Charity with 12 sisters after getting the green signal from the Vatican.
1951: Receives Indian citizenship.
1952: Opens first home for dying at Kalighat in South Kolkata. Names it Nirmal Hriday (Pure Heart) in Kalighat.
1953: Leaves Creek Lane and shifts to a two-storied building on Lower Circular road. Now it is called Mother House, the global headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity.
1957: Begins her work with lepers for which her order becomes well known around the world.
1962: Receives Padmashree award from the president of India for her humanitarian work.
1963, March 25: Founds Missionaries of Charity, Brothers.
1965: Catholic Church grants permission for setting up missions outside India. The first opens that year in Venezuela.
1971: Receives Pope John XXIII Peace Prize and uses the money to build a leper colony.
1976, June 25: Founds Missionaries of Charity, Contemplative Sisters.
1979, March 19: Founds Missionaries of Charity, Contemplative Brothers.
1979, Dec: Nobel Peace Prize for work with the destitute and dying.
1980, March: India's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna.
1982: Rescues 37 mentally disabled children from a hospital in besieged Beirut.
1983: Visits Pope John Paul II. Hospitalised with heart attack, first of several.
1984, Oct 31: Founds Missionaries of Charity Fathers.
1985: Awarded Medal of Freedom, highest US civilian honour.
1990: Resigns as superior general of the Missionaries of Charity but is re-elected.
1997, March 13: Steps down as head of her order.
1997, Sep 5: Dies of heart failure in Kolkata at age 87.
2003: Beatified by Pope John Paul II - placing her a step from sainthood.
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