PERSONAL INFORMATION
Birth Name: Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu
Real Name: Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu
Other Name: Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Profession: Catholic Nun
Date of Birth: 26 August 1910 (Friday)
Birthplace: Üsküp, Kosovo Vilayet, Ottoman Empire (modern Skopje, Republic of Macedonia)
Age (at the time of death): 87 Years
Zodiac sign: Virgo
Nationality: • Indian citizen (1950–1997) • Indian subject (1948–1950) • Yugoslavian citizen (1943–1948) • Yugoslavian subject (1918–1943) • Bulgarian subject (1915–1918) • Serbian subject (1912–1915) • Ottoman subject (1910–1912) • Honorary American citizenship (awarded 1996)
Hometown: Skopje, Macedonia
Religion: Christianity (Catholicism)
Ethnicity: Albanian
Food Habit: Non-Vegetarian [1] The Free Press Journal
Age: 87 Years
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EDUCATION
School: Attended a government school
Educational Qualification: Learned English at Loreto Abbey in Rathfarnham, Ireland
PHYSICAL STATISTICS
Height (approx.): 5′ (152 cm)
Eye Colour: Grey
Height: 5′
FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS
Marital Status (at the time of death): Unmarried
Parents: Father – Nikollë Bojaxhiu (Albanian businessman, benefactor, and politician) Mother – Dranafile Bojaxhiu
Siblings: Brother – Lazar Bojaxhiu (elder) Sister – Aga Bojaxhiu (elder)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Awards, Honours: 1997 • United States Congressional Gold Medal 1996 • Honorary citizen of the USA 1985 • US President Ronald Reagan presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom 1983 • Queen Elizabeth II presented her with the Order of Merit 1980 • Presented with the Medal of Merits of the town of Skopje • Bharat Ratna, from the President of India 1979 • Nobel Peace Prize 1978 • Award from the Balzan Foundation for humanity and peace among peoples 1977 • Honorary PhD in Theology, University of Cambridge, England 1975 • Featured on the cover of TIME magazine – The magazine called her one of the world’s “living saints.” 1973 • Templeton Prize for her extraordinary efforts to help the homeless and neglected children of Calcutta 1971 • John f. Kennedy International Award • Pope Paul VI presented her with the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize 1969 • Jawaharlal Nehru Award 1962 • Ramon Magsaysay Award, in the Philippines • Padma Shri Award, from the President of India
OTHER INFORMATION
Title(s): • Virgin • Superior General
Venerated: Catholic Church
Beatified: 19 October 2003, Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II
Colonized: 4 September 2016, Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City by Pope Francis
Associated With: • Missionaries of Charity (1950–1997) • Sisters of Loreto (1928–1948)
Major Shrine: Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity, Calcutta, West Bengal, India
Feast: 5 September
Successor: Sr. Nirmala Joshi, MC
Date of Death: 5 September 1997
Place of Death: Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal, India
Death Cause: Cardia Arrest – Prolonged illness including heart issues, pneumonia, and malaria
Tomb: Located on the ground floor of the main building of the Mother House at 54A, A.J.C. Bose Road, Kolkata India
Death Date: 05/09/1997
INTERESTING BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Mother Teresa, a figure synonymous with compassion and humanitarianism, beautifully articulated her identity with the words, “By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.” Born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, now the capital of North Macedonia, she cherished August 27 as her true birthday— the day she was baptized. Growing up in a devout Albanian family, she attended a government school, where her spiritual journey began to take shape through her involvement in a Roman Catholic laywoman’s society known as a sodality. Tragically, her father passed away when she was just eight years old, but this loss did not deter her aspirations. By the age of twelve, Teresa felt a calling to the convent life, a decision that would eventually lead her to a remarkable path of service.
In pursuit of her vocation, Teresa left for Dublin in 1928 to learn English before embarking on her mission to India. She was soon sent to the eastern Indian hill station of Darjeeling, where she began her novitiate with the Irish Sisters of Loreto, who ran a school for the daughters of tea planters and Westernized Indians. After a year, she moved to Calcutta, where she began teaching at St. Mary’s High School. On May 24, 1931, Teresa took her first vows and adopted the name Sister Teresa, a tribute more closely aligned with Teresa of Lisieux, a beloved French nun, rather than the Spanish mystic, St. Teresa of Avila. By 1937, she became known as Mother Teresa after taking her final vows, dedicating herself fully to her faith and mission.
Throughout her time at St. Mary’s, Mother Teresa taught subjects such as geography and catechism, but her life took a transformative turn amid the 1943 famine that ravaged Bengal. On September 10, 1946, while traveling by train, she felt a profound internal call—”a call within a call”—to leave the convent and devote herself to the poor, living among them. This pivotal moment catalyzed her application to leave the Loreto order, which was granted by the Vatican on April 12, 1948. By August 16 of that year, she stepped into the streets of Calcutta, armed with a spirit of compassion that would change countless lives. Her first visit to a slum on December 21, 1948, marked the beginning of her lifelong commitment to the destitute, as she tended to the sick and dying, embodying the very essence of love and charity.
In 1950, with the blessing of the Holy See, Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, making Calcutta her permanent home. Embracing Indian culture, she adopted the traditional white sari with a blue border, symbolizing her commitment to her mission. Her journey was not solitary; a young student from Loreto School, Subhashini Das, soon joined her cause, becoming Sister Agnes. Over the years, Mother Teresa and her team established numerous facilities, including orphanages, nursing homes, and hospices, tirelessly working to alleviate suffering. With relentless dedication, she expanded her order internationally in 1965, with New York City becoming its first overseas center. Her philanthropic work extended beyond India, as she provided aid in conflict zones, such as rescuing children during the Siege of Beirut in 1982.
Despite her declining health, Mother Teresa continued her work until her passing on September 5, 1997, just days after celebrating her 87th birthday. Her funeral in Calcutta drew immense crowds, reflecting the indelible impact she had made on the world. In the wake of her death, Pope John Paul II initiated her canonization process, and by October 19, 2003, she was beatified, recognized as “Blessed” after reports of miraculous healings attributed to her intercession. On September 4, 2016, she was canonized by Pope Francis, who noted her unwavering voice against poverty. Today, her legacy lives on through her widespread recognition as a patron saint, with numerous institutions named in her honor, a public holiday in Albania on her birthday, and the United Nations declaring September 5 as the International Day of Charity. Mother Teresa’s life continues to inspire generations, a testament to the power of love and service in addressing the world’s most pressing needs.
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Note: All biographical information compiled from publicly available sources.