Come Be My Light: A Brief Biography of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta was born in Albania on August 27, 1910.  Originally named Agnes Gonxha Bejaxhiu, she was the youngest sibling of three. By the age of 12, Agnes had decided that she wanted to be a missionary and spread the love of Christ. At 18 she left her home and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community of nuns with missions in India. She left for India, arriving in Calcutta on January 6, 1929. After making her First Profession of Vows in May 1931, and was given the name Sister Mary Teresa after St, Therese of Lisieux. She was assigned to the Loreto community in Calcutta where she taught at St. Mary’s School for girls. On May 24, 1937, Sister Teresa made her Final Profession of Vows, becoming, as she said, the “spouse of Jesus” for “all eternity.” It was at that time that she became known as Mother Teresa. She taught at the school until 1944 when she became the school’s principal.

In September of 1946, during a train ride to Darjeeling for her annual retreat, Mother Teresa received the first of several ‘inspirations’ and, as she herself describes, visions. It was after this retreat that Mother Teresa began a journey that would lead her to the founding of the religious community, the Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa believed with her whole being that Jesus was calling her to ‘come be my light’ and serve the poorest of the poor. Thus, on December 21, 1948, Mother Teresa left her convent and began her service to the poor of Calcutta. She launched her work by bringing dying persons from the streets into a home where they could die in peace and dignity. She also established an orphanage. Gradually other women joined her, and in 1950 she received official approval for a congregation of sisters, the Missionaries of Charity.

Due to a heart attack in September 1989, she sent a letter of resignation to Pope John Paul II and retired in April 1990. But during the 1950s through 1980s, Mother Teresa expanded her missions to many other countries. She also developed organizations or orders for those non-religious who wanted to follow her as well as an order for brothers and another for priests. Growth in support of Mother Teresa’s mission was rapid and the world began to take notice of Mother Teresa and her works. During the 1970s she was honoured with several awards, most notability the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She received these prizes and this attention as she said “for the glory of God and in the name of the poor.”

By 1997, the Missionaries of Charity numbered nearly 4,000 members and were established in 610 foundations in over 120 countries around the world. In the spring of 1997 she made one more trip abroad to meet with Pope John Paul II. She returned to Calcutta and passed away on September 5. Her body was buried in the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta. On December 20, 2002, Pope John Paul II approved the ‘Cause for her Canonization’ and she was beatified given the title of Blessed.  Mother Teresa’s love for Jesus and zeal for Social Justice forms the cornerstone of the culture we have tried to develop at Mother Teresa Catholic Elementary School in Courtice.