Essays

Mother Teresa was born in Yugoslavia on 26^th August 1910. She became a nun at the age of 18. She came to India as a Loretto sister to teach in Loretto convents in Kolkata.

The extreme poverty that she saw around her seen made her change her directions. She decided she would serve the poor, the sick and the helpless from then onwards. Moved by her example many came forward to join her. In 1950 she started the famous order of the 'Missionaries of Charity'.

Soon many homes for the homeless, schools and hospitals were opened all over the country and abroad. Today the Missionaries of Charity have more than 150 centres in India alone and they have their branches in most countries of the world.

For her great work of selfless love for the unloved she had been awarded many prizes and titles both in India and in other countries. She was too big a person for these awards. The holy work she did could never be made small by being paid for. She worked untiringly till the day she passed away. She died on the 6th of September, 1997 in Kolkata.

Even while she lived some people worshipped her. She was a real saint and both Kolkata and India are proud that she died as an Indian.

In her death India lost an angel of mercy that day. It was indeed a black Friday for the whole world. The work she started carries on without any lack of love by her followers all over the world.