Her Call To Help

Seldom do we feel the presence of a person, who is actually not physically present near us. Mother Teresa continues to make her presence felt with the legacy of her work with the Missionaries of Charity.

Born in August 26, 1910, she was an Albanian nun who won the Noble Peace Prize in 1979. Her lifelong devotion and commitment to the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India has earned her the title, “The Living Saint.”

As early as September 1946, Teresa experienced her “calling while traveling to the Loreto convent in Darjeeling for her annual retreat. "I was to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them. It was an order. To fail would have been to break the faith." (Photo from www.tidm.com

In 1982, during a siege in Beirut, Mother Teresa rescued 37 children trapped in a front line hospital by brokering a temporary cease-fire between the Israeli army and Palestinian guerrillas. Together with by Red Cross workers, she traveled through the war zone to the devastated hospital to evacuate the young patients.

Last 05 September 1995, she left this world. At least physically. But her presence continues shine in the hearts of the thousands of poor she has helped and inspire the many others who continue her work.

Over the years, Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity grew from twelve to thousands serving the "poorest of the poor" in 450 centers around the world. By 1996, she was operating 517 missions in more than 100 countries.

She received numerous recognitions and awards. In 1962, she received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding.

Following her death she was beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.