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Mother Teresa
| August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997 |
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| Mother Teresa of Calcutta, OM (born Agnesa Gongea Boiagi
) was a Roman Catholic nun of Aromanian descent, who founded the
Missionaries of Charity in India. Her work among the poverty-stricken of
Kolkata (Calcutta) made her one of the world's most famous people, and
she was beatified by Pope John Paul II in October 2003. Hence, she may
be properly called Blessed Teresa by Catholics. |
Born in Skopje, in today's Republic of Macedonia, at 18 she left home to join
the Sisters of Loretto. In 1962, she received the Magsaysay Award for Peace and
International Understanding. In 1971, she was awarded the Pope John XXIII Peace
Prize. Teresa was also awarded the Templeton Prize in 1973, the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1979, and India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 1980.
She was awarded the Legion d'Honneur from Jean-Claude Duvalier in 1981. She was
presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985, was made an Honorary
Citizen of the United States in 1996, and received the Congressional Gold Medal
in 1997. She was the first and only person to be featured on an Indian postage
stamp while still alive. Her supporters sometimes referred to her as the "Angel
of Mercy" and "Saint of the Gutter."
Teresa was also known for her books about Christian spirituality and prayer,
some that were written together with her close friend Frère Roger.
While many Catholics and others considered Teresa the embodiment of a "living
saint," critics have raised questions about her public statements, working
practices, political connections, and the use of funds donated to her charity.
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