St Teresa of Calcutta

Patron Saint of World Youth Day, the Missionaries of Charity, the poor, the sick.

Feast Day: September 5th

Religious

Skopje, North Macedonia

Feast Day: September 5th

Religious

Skopje, North Macedonia

About

St Teresa of Calcutta, better known as Mother Teresa, was a 20th-century nun and missionary who devoted her life to serving the poorest of the poor. Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 in Skopje (present-day North Macedonia), she joined the Sisters of Loreto and was sent to India as a teacher. Moved by the suffering she saw in the streets of Calcutta, she founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950, dedicated to caring for the sick, dying, abandoned, and marginalized. Her work became known worldwide, and she received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She is buried at the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, India, a site of prayer and pilgrimage.

Legacy

St. Teresa of Calcutta is remembered for her unwavering service, humility, and love for the most vulnerable. She taught that holiness is found in small acts done with great love. Canonized in 2016 by Pope Francis, she is honored as a global symbol of mercy and compassion. Her life continues to inspire people to serve Christ in those most in need.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” — St. Teresa of Calcutta