Mother Teresa (Reformers)

was born (1910) in Skopje, capital of the Republic of Macedonia. Little is known about her early life, but at a young age she felt a calling to serve through helping the poor. At the age of 18 she was given permission to join a group of nuns in Ireland. After a few months of training Mother Teresa travelled to Calcutta, India where she formally accepted the vows of a nun.

Mother Teresa, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, attained world wide fame for her life dedicated to serving the poor and destitute. "It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving."

- Mother Teresa

In her early years she worked as a teacher in the slums of Calcutta, the widespread poverty made a deep impression on her and this led to her starting a new order called “The Missionaries of Charity”. The primary objective of this mission was to look after people, who nobody else was prepared to. Mother Teresa felt that serving others was a key principle of the teachings of Jesus Christ. She often mentioned the saying of Jesus, "Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me."

"Love cannot remain by itself -- it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service ."

- Mother Teresa

The Missionaries of Charity now has branches throughout the world including branches in the developed world where they work with the homeless and people affected with AIDS. In 1965, the Society became an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI

In the 1960s, the life of Mother Teresa was first brought to a wider public attention by Malcolm Muggeridge who wrote a book and produced a documentary called “Something Beautiful for God”.

Mother Teresa with Desmond Tutu

Mother Teresa Awards.

The first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize. (1971)

* Kennedy Prize (1971)

* The Nehru Prize –“for promotion of international peace and understanding”(1972)

* Albert Schweitzer International Prize (1975),

* The Nobel Peace Prize (1979)

* States Presidential Medal of Freedom (1985)

* Congressional Gold Medal (1994)

* Honorary citizenship of the United States (November 16, 1996),

Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Prize "for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace." She refused the conventional ceremonial banquet given to laureates, and asked that the $6,000 funds be given to the poor in Calcutta.

When Mother Teresa received the prize, she was asked, "What can we do to promote world peace?" Her answer was simple: "Go home and love your family ."

Over the last two decades of her life, Mother Teresa suffered various health problems but nothing could dissuade her from fulfilling her mission of serving the poor and needy. Until her very last illness she was active in travelling around the world to the different branches of "The Missionaries of Charity"

Following Mother Teresa’s death the Vatican began the process of beatification, which is the second step on the way to canonisation and sainthood. Mother Teresa was formally beatified in October 2003 by Pope John Paul II and is now known as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

Mother Teresa was a living saint who offered a great example and inspiration to the world.