Saint Teresa of Calcutta
the one in the white and blue sari
Who was Saint Teresa of Calcutta?
- She was born in Skopje, in the Balkans, in 1910. Her name was Gonxha Agnes. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- In Calcutta, India, she founded the Missionaries of Charity to serve the poorest of the poor. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- Pope Francis proclaimed her a saint on September 4, 2016. Pope Francis, homily of September 4, 2016
- The name
- She took the name Teresa after Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- Also called
- Gonxha Agnes Bojaxhiu vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa · Sister Mary Teresa vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa · Mother Teresa vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- From
- Skopje, in the Balkans vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- Occupation
- Religious sister; a teacher, and later foundress of the Missionaries of Charity vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- Feast day
- September 5: Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Virgin
The path of Saint Teresa of Calcutta
- Before Jesus. She was the youngest child of Nikola and Drane Bojaxhiu. Her father died when she was about eight. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- Before Jesus. At 18 she left home to become a missionary with the Sisters of Loreto. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- Before Jesus. She arrived in Calcutta on January 6, 1929. There she taught at a school for girls. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- With Jesus. On September 10, 1946, on a trip to Darjeeling, she received her “call within a call.” vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- With Jesus. On August 17, 1948, she put on a white sari with a blue border and went out to the poor. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- With Jesus. On October 7, 1950, the Missionaries of Charity were officially founded. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- With Jesus. She died on September 5, 1997. Her sisters numbered nearly 4,000, in 123 countries. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- Afterward. John Paul II beatified her in 2003, and Pope Francis proclaimed her a saint in 2016. John Paul II, homily of October 19, 2003, no. 1; Pope Francis, homily of September 4, 2016
Words of Saint Teresa of Calcutta
“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.” vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
This is how she introduced herself.
“God still loves the world and he sends you and me to be his love and his compassion to the poor.” vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
Her words that open her biography on vatican.va.
“Perhaps I don’t speak their language, but I can smile.” Pope Francis, homily of September 4, 2016
Something she liked to say, according to Pope Francis.
“In you, in you I hope, my God.” John Paul II, homily of October 19, 2003, no. 6
In her moments of inner desolation, according to John Paul II.
What they were like
- She was small in stature and firm as a rock in her faith. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- She had a natural gift for organizing and a great capacity for work. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- She often said that the greatest poverty is to be unwanted, to have no one to take care of you. John Paul II, homily of October 19, 2003, no. 5
The greatest thing they did
- She founded the Missionaries of Charity, who reached every continent. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- John Paul II called her an “icon of the Good Samaritan.” John Paul II, homily of October 19, 2003, no. 1
Not to be confused with
- Saint Thérèse of Lisieux: Saint Thérèse of Lisieux was a Carmelite in France in the 1800s. Mother Teresa took her name. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
- Saint Teresa of Avila: Teresa of Jesus was a Carmelite in Spain in the 1500s and reformed the Carmel. Benedict XVI, general audience of February 2, 2011
In the Church today
Feast day: September 5, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Virgin (optional memorial). Decree of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, December 24, 2024 (General Roman Calendar)
In art, recognized by: The white sari with a blue border vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa; A child by one hand and the rosary in the other John Paul II, homily of October 19, 2003, no. 2
What people ask
Why was she called Teresa?
When she joined the Sisters of Loreto, she took the name Teresa after Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
What was her “call within a call”?
On September 10, 1946, she felt the desire to satisfy the thirst of Jesus. Her biography says she never explained how it happened. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
What does it have to do with Jesus’ words “I thirst”?
Jesus said them on the cross. John Paul II said that quenching that thirst for love was the goal of her life. John 19:28; John Paul II, homily of October 19, 2003, no. 3
Is it true that she felt far from God?
Yes. After her death, people learned that she lived through years of “darkness.” It united her even more closely to God. vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa
When is her feast?
September 5. Since the decree of December 24, 2024, it is in the General Roman Calendar. Decree of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, December 24, 2024
Her night For many years she felt inside a painful separation from God. She called it “darkness.” vatican.va, biography of Mother Teresa No one knew until after her death. That…
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See the mapWho Saint Teresa of Calcutta is connected to
- Saint Thérèse of Lisieux · took her name
- Saint John Paul II · beatified her
- Jesus · “I thirst”
More people
All the people of the Bible · The Twelve Apostles · Women of the Bible