La asombrosa vida de la Madre Teresa de Calcuta | Noticias con Francisco Zea
Mother Teresa: A Life of Service
Early Life and Missionary Calling
- Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born in Skopje, present-day Macedonia, in 1910 and passed away in Calcutta, India, in 1997. She is widely known as Mother Teresa of Calcutta, dedicated to helping the poorest individuals.
- Her family's deep religiosity inspired her missionary vocation; she joined the Daughters of Mary in 1928 and later traveled to Ireland at age 18 to join the Congregation of Our Lady of Loreto.
Teaching Career and Transition to Service
- After her training, she moved to Bengal, India, where she taught history, geography, and English for nearly two decades before becoming the director of a school in Calcutta by 1944.
- In 1948, shortly after India's independence, she received permission from Rome to focus on apostolic work among the poor. She studied nursing and opened her first children's care center in 1950.
Founding the Missionaries of Charity
- Mother Teresa chose Indian nationality and founded the Missionaries of Charity dedicated to caring for the hungry, homeless, blind, lepers—devoting her life entirely to this cause.
- Her humanitarian efforts earned her global recognition; she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her extensive work with impoverished communities worldwide.
Health Challenges and Legacy
- In 1993, Mother Teresa contracted malaria while in New Delhi; this illness complicated existing heart and lung conditions leading to hospitalization shortly after celebrating her 87th birthday. She passed away shortly thereafter.
- Following her death in 1997, she was beatified six years later and canonized by Pope Francis on September 4th, 2016—a testament to her enduring legacy among millions around the world.