Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu felt called by God from an early age, at 18 she joined the Sisters of Loreto to become a missionary. She went to Loreto Abbey in Ireland, where she learned English. The Sisters ran a school in Darjeeling, India, Agnes was sent there in 1929, taking her 1st vows in 1931. She chose Teresa as her religious name, after Teresa of Lisieux.

By 1937 she was teaching in a school in Calcutta and took her final vows. Increasingly concerned about the poverty there worsened by the Bengal famine 1943 and the outbreak of violence between Hindus and Moslems in 1946, Mother Teresa felt an urgent call to live and work among the poor. In 1948 she began to do so, adopting the dress which became so distinctive of her, a white cotton robe with a blue border. The 1st year was very hard, only her determination and faith kept her going. In 1950 she got papal approval to start the Missionaries of Charity. The mission to care for 'the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, and all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to society and are shunned by everyone'.

As her Order grew she was able to expand the work beyond Calcutta. By the mid-1960s there were houses in various countries, and other related orders in support of her mission, such as the Co-Workers of Mother Teresa, and the Sick and Suffering Co-Workers for people of various faiths, whose common bond was support and encouragement of her work.

1969, she was noticed internationally when a documentary, 'Something Beautiful for God', was produced by Malcolm Muggeridge. It was published as a book in 1971, the year Pope Paul VI awarded her the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize for charitable work and efforts to promote peace. Other awards followed and she was honoured by leading international figures of the day. In 1979 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Mother Teresa has not been without critics. Some claimed her charitable work, although noble, did nothing to alleviate the cause of poverty or address social injustice. She ignored this and there has never been any doubt over her commitment to the poor and destitute. She had a spiritual strength, nourished by prayer and deep meditation. She greatly admired Francis of Assisi and many of his teachings are woven into the spiritual practices of the Missionaries of Charity. She reached out to the unloved, the ostracized, the marginalized and the vulnerable. She took a stand for the poor, victims of injustice, refugees and the displaced. She saw no race, creed, color and religion, stating that all human beings are a creation of God and deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and love. She saw Jesus in each one.

After her death she was declared a saint by Pope John Paul Iin 2002 with the title, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. The World also paid Tribute; in 2013 the United Nations declared this anniversary of her death as the ‘International day of Charity’ a fitting tribute.

BORN: 26 August 1910, Skopje, Kosovo Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire (Albania). Now part of Macedonia, Greece.

DIED: 5 September 1997, Kolkata, India.