World symbol of mercy and service

Today we celebrate Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997). Born in present-day Macedonia, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu entered the Order of Our Lady of Loreto in Ireland at the age of 18. As a nun, she took the name Teresa in honor of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. For 20 years, she taught at St. Mary's School in Calcutta, India. There, she felt called to dedicate her life to the poor and the most vulnerable. In 1948, Pope Pius XII granted Mother Teresa permission to leave her duties at the school, and she began sharing her life on the streets of Calcutta with the dying, the sick, and the hungry. In 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity to help "the poorest of the poor," whose work spread throughout the world. Her work in Calcutta made her a global symbol of mercy and service: she said, "A life not lived for others is not a life." She received numerous awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize (1979). —Mother Teresa died in Calcutta and was canonized in 2016 as Saint Teresa of Calcutta.