Mother Teresa Birthday (Date, Age, How Old)

Background

Born in 1910 in Skopje, North Macedonia, the woman who would be known as Mother Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu was raised in a Roman Catholic family. Fascinated by the tales of missionaries aiding those in need across the globe, by the age of 12, she resolved to dedicate her life to Roman Catholicism and missionary work. Upon turning 18, she opted to become a nun, moving to Ireland to join the Sisters of Loreto at Loreto Abbey, where she learned English.

In 1929, she journeyed from Ireland to India to teach at a girls’ school. However, it was in 1946 that a significant transformation occurred in her life. During a train journey from Calcutta to Darjeeling, she experienced what she described as “a call within a call,” discovering her life’s mission to assist the underprivileged in the slums of Calcutta. This pivotal moment established her legacy as one of history’s most revered missionaries. Subsequently, in 1950, she established the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation whose members vow chastity, poverty, and obedience. Presently, the Missionaries of Charity comprises over 5,000 nuns and volunteers serving in 133 countries worldwide, providing services ranging from homes for terminally ill patients with H.I.V./AIDS, leprosy, and tuberculosis to soup kitchens, schools for abandoned children, and mobile clinics.

In recognition of her extensive humanitarian work, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She passed away on September 5, 1997, at the age of 87. In 2016, she was canonized as a saint by Pope Francis.