5 interesting facts to know about St. Teresa of Calcutta

CNA Staff, Aug 26, 2024 / 16:50 pm (CNA).

Born on Aug. 26, 1910, in North Macedonia, St. Teresa of Calcutta left a lasting impact on the world. The beloved saint founded the Missionaries of Charity, working tirelessly to serve the poor and dying in the slums of India, and was also a vocal defender of the unborn.

Here are five things you might not know about Mother Teresa:

1. She devoted her life to her faith at the age of 12.

The youngest of three children, Mother Teresa was born into a devout Catholic home to parents of Albanian descent. She was baptized the day after she was born in Skopje, North Macedonia, and throughout her life witnessed her mother caring for those less fortunate. She also became fascinated with the lives of missionaries and by the age of 12 committed herself to religious life. At the age of 18 she joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community of nuns who sent missionaries to India. She trained for several months in Ireland before going to India. She never saw her mother or siblings again.

2. She once had to beg for food.

When Mother Teresa first arrived in India for her missionary work, she had no income and little access to food. Experiencing hunger, she was forced to beg for food from people on the street. This experience gave her a more personal understanding of the suffering many of the poor people living on the streets of India were going through.

3. She answered her “call within a call.”

On Sept. 10, 1946, while traveling by train from Calcutta to Darjeeling for her annual retreat while teaching at the St. Mary’s School for Girls, Mother Teresa received what she described as a “call within a call.” On that day, she received a great desire to serve the poorest in India. After two years, she received permission to begin what would become her life’s mission. On Aug. 17, 1948, she dressed for the first time in her white-and-blue-bordered saree, left the Loreto convent, and entered into the slums of India. 

4. She received more than 120 honors and awards.

Mother Teresa was awarded more than 120 awards and honors both during her lifetime and after she passed away. Some of these include the Padma Shri in 1962, the Ramon Magsaysay Peace Prize in 1962, the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding in 1969, the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize in 1971, the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, and the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1980.

5. She has an airport named after her.

There are many roads and buildings named after Mother Teresa. However, one that particularly stands out is an airport. The international airport in Albania was renamed in 2001 to honor the saint. Its name is now the Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza (Mother Teresa).