Mother Teresa
By: Meg Breen
CL3
Early Life
• She was born in Skopje,
Macedonia (the former
Yugoslavia) on August 26th,
1910
• She was a member of a youth
group called Sodality.
• She became a nun at the age
of 18, and joined the Sisters of
Loreto, which is an Irish
community of nuns with
missions in India.
• She was a teacher at St.
Mary’s High School in
Calcutta, and she taught her
students the importance of
service and helping the poor.
• She died on September 5th,
1997.
Working With the Poor
• She began working with the poor in 1948.
• She established a diocesan congregation.
• She would work for the hungry, the naked, and the
homeless because she wanted them to feel loved,
wanted, and cared for.
• People living in the streets that were rejected by hospitals
were welcomed into this diocesan congregation.
Working With The Poor
• She founded the
Missionaries of Charity,
which is a Catholic
order of nuns who are
dedicated to helping
the poor.
• She would rather have
others volunteer to help
her rather than having
them donate money.
• Not only did she take
care of the poor, but
she educated them, as
well.
Working with the Poor
• Her first location in the
United States was in
South Bronx, New York.
• In 1952, she established
the first Home for the
Dying. The location of
this home was a Hindu
temple that was not
used.
• If she saw dying bodies
on the street, she would
pick them up and try to
save them.
• A home for lepers was
also established by her.
Working With Children
• She opened a home for
orphans and homeless
children in India, and it was
known as the Nirmala
Shishu Bhavan.
• Her goal was to reach
different parts of India to
open orphanages and leper
houses, and this goal was
reached.
• There are more than 450 of
these centers around the
world.
• Orphanages and leper
houses are located in
dozens of countries in Asia,
Africa, and Europe.
Awards
• The Padma Shri was given to her in 1963.
This is an award that the Indian
government gives to Indian citizens that
shows their appreciation for all they
have done.
• She was awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru
in 1972. This is an international award
that the Indian government gives to
thank a person for their contributions.
• Mother Teresa won the Bharat Ratna in
1980. Bharat Ratna means Jewel of
India in Hindi. This is an Indian award
that shows that the people are proud of
someone’s services and acheivements.
Awards
• She was awarded the Pope
John XXIII Peace Prize in
1971 from Pope Paul VI.
• The Pacem in Terris Award
was given to her in 1976.
Pacem en Terris means
peace on earth. It was
issued to her by Pope John
XXIII, and he said that it is
meant for “all people of
good will”.
• The Balzan Prize was
awarded to her in 1978.
This award gives money to
organizations who make
outstanding acheivements.
Awards
• In 1979, Mother Teresa was
awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize. This thanks her for all
services and acheivements
that she has done to make
the world a better place.
• In 1962, she was given the
Ramon Magsaysay Award.
This is known as “Asia’s Nobel
Prize”. It recognizes the
service of a person.
• She also won the Medal of
Freedom award, which is the
United States’ highest Civilian
Award
Honoring Mother Teresa after her
death
• There were special masses in
Calcutta to honor her ten years
after her death.
• Sean-Patrick Lovett was inspired by
Mother Teresa. To show his
inspiration, he visited Calcutta and
did what Mother Teresa had done,
then wrote a book about it. The
book is called The Best Gift is Love.
• Kathryn Spink was amazed at
everything Mother Teresa did, so
she wrote a biography about her,
which was called Mother Teresa: A
Complete Authorized Biography.
Impact on my Life
Mother Teresa played a
major impact on my life,
and she is my role model.
She taught me to be a
better person, and she also
sparked my interest into
going on a service trip to
help underpriviliged
children in different
countries. I am hoping to
make trips to different
underpriviliged countries
towards the end of high
school or during college.